BAT Foundation Seeks New Financing, Policies To Boost Smallholder Farmers’ Potential

The BAT Foundation has reiterated its commitment to empowering smallholder farmers and strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural ecosystem.

Through its 2025 Agribusiness Dialogue Session, the foundation advocates for innovative financing models, policy frameworks, and market access strategies to unlock the potential of smallholder farmers.

The Dialogue Session, held biennially since 2015, has become one of Nigeria’s most influential platforms for shaping policy, sparking innovation, and mobilising stakeholders in the agrifood system. This year’s edition in Lagos focused on the theme: “Is the Smallholder Farmer Really Finance-able?”

Smallholder farmers, representing over 40 million people and producing nearly 80 per cent of Nigeria’s food, are the backbone of the country’s food security and rural economy. Yet they face mounting challenges as international aid and donor-driven interventions decline.

The executive director of BATNF, Mrs Halimat Shuaibu, stated, “Our task is to ensure that smallholder farmers are not only financeable but also resilient, thriving, and recognised as critical to Nigeria’s growth story. Agriculture must move from being seen as a survivalist venture to a strategic driver of national wealth.”

The general manager of BATN Foundation, Oludare Odusanya, emphasised that the real test of financial ability lies in moving from theory to practice, saying that smallholder farmers must be seen not as passive recipients of aid but as active partners in Nigeria’s economic transformation.

“For too long, conversations around smallholder farmers have centred on limitations rather than possibilities. At BATNF, we see finance as just one piece of the puzzle. True empowerment happens when financing is coupled with knowledge, innovation, and market access. We aim to close these gaps so that smallholder farmers are no longer defined by dependency, but recognised as the true engines of Nigeria’s agribusiness economy,” he said.

Delivering the keynote address, the senior special adviser on Agricultural Innovation to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Ademola Adenle, debunked the notion that smallholder farmers merely seek grants.

He emphasised the need for innovative financing solutions underpinned by credible farmer data and transparent systems.

“Every kobo invested in smallholder farmers is not charity. It is one of the smartest investments we can make today because agriculture remains the surest driver of jobs, innovation, and resilience,” he said.

In line with its long-standing focus on youth in agriculture, BATNF used the Dialogue to showcase winners of the 2025 Farmers for the Future (F4F) competition. First-place winner Mr Daniel Jacob of Aretecom Limited received N3 million in funding support. Ms Emmanuel Mary of Zibah Foods and Mr Akinloye John of Geentead Farm NG each received N2 million as second-place winners. In contrast, Mr Ikhahon Robinson (Heabron Farm Ltd), Ms Adetuberu Sikeade (Lycos Nutrients Enterprises), and Mr Haruna Godwin (Yaroson Agro Business) all received N1 million each as third-place winners.

Since its establishment in 2002, the BATN Foundation has executed over 350 community development projects across Nigeria, promoting modern agricultural practices and providing financial support that helps farmers transition from subsistence to commercial farming.