BATN Foundation Reaffirms Commitment to Empowering Smallholder Farmers

Dike Onwuamaeze

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

BATN Foundation made this commitment when it hosted 2025 Agribusiness Dialogue Session that is noted for shaping policy, sparking innovation, and mobilising stakeholders in the agrifood system. This year’s edition, held on Thursday at Radisson Blu Hotel, Lagos, focused on the urgent theme: “Is the Smallholder Farmer Really Finance-able?”

In her welcome address, The Executive Director of BATN Foundation, Mrs. Halimat Shuaibu, said that the foundation’s mission 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.”

Speaking in the same vein, the General Manager of BATN Foundation, Mr. Oludare Odusanya, emphasised that the real test of financing smallholder farmer lied in moving from theory to practice.

Odusanya noted that smallholder farmers must be seen not as passive recipients of aid but as active partners in Nigeria’s economic transformation.

He said: “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 access to markets. Our mission is 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.”

Delivering the keynote address, Senior Special Adviser on Agricultural Innovation to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Professor Ademola Adenle, debunked the notion that smallholder farmers merely seek grants.

Adenle said that what that is needed is innovative financing solutions underpinned by credible farmer data and transparent systems.

He said: “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.”

Members of the panelist during the dialogue were General Manager, National Agriculture Development Fund, Mr. Abiodun Sosanya; Chief Executive Officer of Eupepsia Place Limited, Mr. Samson Ogbole, and Managing Director, Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin,.

The panelists highlighted access to finance as the single greatest barrier for smallholder farmers.

Sosanya said that tailored non-collateral lending must be prioritised by financial institutions because these farmers produce 80 percent of Nigeria’s food.

Sotinrin called for robust farmer databases, stronger collaboration between stakeholders, and improved rural infrastructure while Ogbole stressed that financing without knowledge is futile.

He said: “We cannot finance ignorance. Farmers need knowledge, hubs, and business-minded models that reduce risks and enable shared growth.”

He pointed out public-private partnerships as key to agricultural transformation in Nigeria.

The session also featured a fireside chat with Project Manager, BATN Foundation Mr. Adetola Oniyelu and Co-founder and CEO of Cato Foods, Mrs. Atinuke Lebile, who harped on the need for capacity building and alignment between policy frameworks and grassroots realities.

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 Akogwu Jacob of Aretecom Limited, received ₦3 million in funding support while Ms. Emmanuel Mary of Zibah Foods and Mr. Akinloye John of Geentead Farm NG each received ₦2 million as second place winners.

But Mr. Ikhahon Robinson of Heabron Farm Limited; Ms. Adetuberu Sikeade of Lycos Nutrients Enterprises and Mr. Haruna Godwin of Yaroson Agro Business received ₦1 million each as third-place winners.

One of the key myths tackled head-on during the dialogue was the widespread belief that smallholder farming is not profitable enough to justify investment. Speakers and panelists dismissed this narrative, pointing instead to the untapped potential of smallholder farmers as engines of food security, job creation, and national economic growth.

The 2025 Dialogue concluded with a call for urgent, coordinated action to ensure Nigeria’s smallholder farmers are empowered with the financing, tools, and markets they need to thrive.

Stakeholders agreed that sustainable agriculture is not just a sectoral priority but a national imperative for food security, employment, and inclusive growth.