BATN Foundation Partners Odu’a’s SWAgCo to Strengthen Agriculture, Empower Smallholder Farmers in South-west

Dike Onwuamaeze

The BATN Foundation has announced a strategic partnership with SWAgCo, the agribusiness arm of the Odu’a Investment Company Limited’s.

The partnership will strengthen agriculture in South-west Nigeria and empower smallholder farmers through scalable, sustainable, and inclusive initiatives.

The partnership with SWAgCo was unveiled at the 43rd Annual General Meeting of Odu’a Investment Company Limited on May 15, as part of SWAgCo’s ₦10 billion agribusiness joint venture designed to industrialise agriculture and unlock the full economic potential of the South-west region.

A key initiative under this collaboration is the ₦65 million maize production project at the Oke-Ako agribusiness hub in Ekiti State, which includes a ₦32 million revolving grant to support 100 smallholder farmers with access to credit, quality inputs, training, and structured markets.

The General Manager of the BATN Foundation, Mr. Oludare Odusanya, said: “At the BATN Foundation, we believe that strategic partnerships are critical to achieving sustainable development goals and driving inclusive growth in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Our collaboration with Odu’a’s SWAgCo is a bold step toward industrialising agriculture and uplifting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who form the backbone of our food systems.

“By combining resources, expertise, and shared vision, this partnership will scale up agricultural productivity, strengthen local value chains, and create long-term economic opportunities for rural communities. We are excited to be part of this transformative journey to build a resilient agricultural future for the region and beyond.”

Those that were at the MoU’s signing were the Group Chairman of Odua Investment Company Limited, Mr. Bimbo Ashiru and the Group Independent Director, Mrs. Folusho Olaniyan.

Others that witnessed the signing of the partnership were Executive Director, BATN Foundation, Halimat Shuaibu; General Manager, BATN Foundation,Mr. Oludare Odusanya, and Chief Executive Officer of SWAgCo, Dr. Theo Adewale Onadeko, as well as representatives from state governments across the Sout-west region and agricultural stakeholders.

This partnership aligned with the BATN Foundation’s mission to empower smallholder farmers, drive food security, and promote inclusive agricultural development.

As more collaborative investments take shape under the SWAgCo initiative, the foundation would remain committed in pursuing efforts and partnerships geared at strengthening the rural agricultural system and more importantly the smallholder farmers.