BATN supports varsity graduates with agribusiness grants

In a strategic move to accelerate youth-led innovation in agriculture, the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has disbursed ₦28.5 million in grants to 18 outstanding graduates from three premier Nigerian universities as part of its 2025 Graduate Agripreneur Programme.

The selected recipients, drawn from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), University of Ilorin, and University of Ibadan, each received ₦1.5 million in seed capital to launch or scale their agribusiness ventures. In addition to the financial support, BATNF is providing mentorship, training, and technical assistance, creating a robust ecosystem to promote agribusiness sustainability and youth empowerment.

The winning agribusinesses cover diverse value chains:

• Cassava cultivation – Habeebullahi Tijani (FUNAAB)
• Poultry egg production – Ajibade Patience (FUNAAB), Uthman Oladipo (Unilorin)
• Broiler production and value addition – Oke Michael (FUNAAB), Olorunmaiye Cynthia (Unilorin)
• Sorghum farming – Abdulahi Ayomide (Unilorin)
• Sustainable beekeeping – Akintayo Akintunde (UI)
• Meat processing – Khadeejah Owolabi (UI)

University leadership at all three institutions praised BATNF for transforming graduates into agri-sector trailblazers. According to Prof. Kola Adebayo (FUNAAB), the initiative positions youth as job creators, not job seekers. Prof. Wahab Egbewole (Unilorin) and faculty at University of Ibadan echoed these sentiments, highlighting the role of agribusiness in national economic renewal.

BATNF’s General Manager, Oludare Odusanya, emphasized the long-term goal: making agriculture an attractive and profitable career path for Nigerian youth. With past beneficiaries like Mary Jimba and Richard Balogun already running successful poultry enterprises, the Foundation is demonstrating how strategic youth investment can catalyze sector-wide transformation.
Source- Punch

Expert Review for Agri-food Stakeholders
This initiative by BATN Foundation demonstrates a results-oriented private sector intervention in Nigeria’s agriculture landscape, with a focus on the youth-agriculture nexus. It is a model worth studying and scaling.

Key Strategic Insights for Stakeholders:

1. Youth-Led Agribusiness Development:
   This programme shifts the focus from unemployment narratives to entrepreneurial activation. Youths with strong university backgrounds and practical orientation are being transformed into agribusiness operators—a key pathway to addressing the aging farmer population.
2. Value Chain Diversity & Specialization:
   The awarded ventures span crops, livestock, processing, and apiculture—reflecting the potential for specialization and value addition across Nigeria’s agricultural value chains. Stakeholders should take note of the need to support specialized agribusiness clusters tailored to market demands.
3. Private Sector-Driven Food Security Contribution:
   BATNF’s efforts complement national goals around food security and economic diversification. This model could be replicated by other private sector players seeking to make high-impact CSR investments.
4. Financial Support + Mentorship = Scalable Impact:
   The blend of grant funding and structured mentorship is critical for early-stage agribusiness success. It reduces risk and enhances scalability. Stakeholders in the public and development sectors should prioritize similar blended support frameworks.
5.  Linkages to Markets and Supply Chains:
   To sustain this momentum, there’s a need for market facilitation, including:
   Access to aggregators and off-takers
   Brand-building and digital marketing
   Linkage to cooperative structures

Recommendations for Agri-food Stakeholders

1. Agri-Investors and Donor Organizations:
   Explore opportunities to co-fund or scale similar agripreneurship programmes across more tertiary institutions and underserved regions in Nigeria. These interventions have demonstrated measurable impact and can be integrated into broader youth empowerment and food security strategies.
2. Universities and Academic Institutions:
   There is a need to institutionalize agripreneur incubation hubs on campuses to support students interested in agribusiness. These hubs can provide hands-on training, access to agritech tools, and early-stage business development support, ensuring continuity from education to enterprise.
3. Federal and State Governments:
   Government agencies should consider integrating high-potential agripreneurs from such programmes into national youth-in-agriculture policies, such as those run by NALDA or FMARDPACE. These platforms can provide further exposure, access to land, and expansion support.
4.  Financial Institutions and Microfinance Banks:
   Provide follow-on funding options tailored to young agribusiness owners. This may include low-interest loans, asset-backed financing, or agricultural insurance packages to support business growth beyond the grant phase.
5. AgriTech Startups and Service Providers:
   Offer digital solutions that can help agripreneurs track production, access quality inputs, manage finances, and connect to buyers. Partnerships with these startups can enhance efficiency, scalability, and profitability for emerging agribusinesses.”