In a significant move towards promoting sustainable agricultural development and fostering agricpreneurship, the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has announced its commitment to empowering four graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin.
Each of the selected graduates, according to the Foundation, will receive a grant of N1.5 million to kickstart their ventures in the agricultural sector.
The General Manager of the BATNF Foundation, Mr Oludare Odusanya, announced this at a meeting with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, in his office.
Mr Odusanya said BATNF established an independent foundation, focusing on initiatives that enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers as part of an agreement with the Federal Government upon establishing their manufacturing presence in Nigeria. He added that the organisation has been supporting smallholder farmers and contributing to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
He pointed out that over the past two decades, BATNF has initiated various projects across the 36 states of Nigeria.
Mr Odusanya added that the latest endeavour is targeted at empowering young individuals, particularly in the field of agriculture to excel
He explained that the foundation chose the University of Ilorin as the location for this project from the North Central Geopolitical zone of Nigeria courtesy of the institution’s commendable track records and success in service delivery.
He explained that the Graduate Agricpreneur Project, which was conceptualised five years ago, seeks to inspire young Nigerians to recognise the vast potentials and profitability of agriculture, adding that the project is targeted at challenging misconceptions and show that farming is a lucrative and respectable career choice comparable to Medicine or Law.
Mr Odusanya, who was accompanied to the meeting by the Project Manager, Mr Adetola Oniyelu,also explained that the initiative targets graduates of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Ilorin, regardless of whether they are fresh graduates, master’s degree holders, or those pursuing their Ph.D.
The BATNF General Manager also revealed that his organisation planned to invest over N2 billion in various projects over the next five years.
He, however, hinted that the number of beneficiaries from the University of Ilorin could be scaled up to ten in subsequent phases depending on the success recorded by the first four beneficiaries.
Speaking on the disbursement process, the General Manager of the BATNF Foundation clarified that funds would not be directly transferred to the beneficiaries. Instead, he said the University of Ilorin will oversee the disbursement to ensure transparency and accountability.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the selected agricpreneurs must have a dedicated business account to receive funds, to foster financial responsibility and position themselves towards accessing additional funding when needed.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Egbewole, expressed his appreciation to the BATNF for selecting the University for participation in the agricultural entrepreneurship project.
The Vice Chancellor assured the Foundation of the University’s commitment to the project’s success, saying, “Whatever propelled you to consider us for this project, we will do our best to surpass the expectations. The Faculty of Agriculture has all it takes to make this
initiative a success and even more deserving.”
Reflecting on his personal connection to agriculture, Prof. Egbewole shared, “I sincerely wanted to be an agricultural economist, but somehow, I ended up in law. Therefore, I will ensure this project succeeds.”
While highlighting the University’s support for the project, the Vice Chancellor assured that the University will support the project in every possible way because, at the end of the day, when the agricprenuers succeed, they become part of the success stories of the University.
Underlining the University’s broader commitment to the employability of its graduates, Prof. Egbewole opined that “For us as a University, our hope is to ensure that our graduates are employable. So, if you have provided an opportunity for them to be engaged through this initiative, as a responsible University, we should endeavor to help the beneficiaries to succeed because their success would inspire a lot of young minds and fly the flag of UNILORIN as agricprenuers”.
Speaking earlier, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Oluyemisi Fawole, said that the initiative will specifically benefit graduates from the fields of Agronomy, Animal Production, and Aquaculture and Fisheries.
She pointed out that these targeted departments play a crucial role in the agricultural landscape and will serve as focal points for the project.
The Dean said that the primary objective of the collaboration between the University of Ilorin and the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation is to inspire and promote agricultural business among students.
She said, “The idea is to encourage our students by showcasing fresh graduates who are actively engaged in agricultural business and making profits. We believe that witnessing these success stories will stimulate interest and passion for agriculture among our students.”
