BATN Foundation, Lagos State Deepen Eight-Year Partnership with ‘Chicks to Plate’ Initiative to Boost Poultry Production, Food Security

The BATN Foundation, in partnership with the Lagos State Government, has expanded its long-standing agricultural development collaboration with the launch of the ‘Chicks to Plate’ Project, a strategic poultry value-chain intervention aimed at strengthening food security, building farmers’ capacity and creating sustainable livelihoods across the state.

Implemented in collaboration with the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority (LSADA), the initiative will provide intensive practical training in modern poultry production and management to 200 prospective and practising poultry farmers, with 40 outstanding layer farmers receiving additional enterprise support to scale their businesses.

The project marks the next phase of the Foundation’s eight-year partnership with LSADA, which began in 2018 with the highly successful ‘Fingerlings to Fork’ programme. Between 2018 and 2025, the initiative trained 1,436 fish farmers in modern aquaculture, value addition, processing, packaging, export readiness and farm management, while providing critical production assets, including fish-smoking kilns and tarpaulin ponds, to enhance productivity and improve livelihoods.

Speaking at the launch of the three-day capacity-building workshop at LSADA, Oko-Oba, Agege, the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said the initiative supports the State Government’s ambition to increase local food production from the current 25 per cent to 50 per cent, in line with its broader food security agenda.

Represented by the Director of Agribusiness, Mrs. Aramide Gansallo, the Commissioner described poultry as a strategic subsector with enormous potential to improve access to affordable animal protein, create employment and strengthen agricultural value chains.
She noted that the initiative reflects the State Government’s commitment to equipping farmers with modern production techniques and agribusiness skills needed to build commercially viable enterprises while supporting the T.H.E.M.E.S. Plus Development Agenda.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Mr. Emmanuel Audu, represented by Mrs. Bukola Idowu, described ‘Chicks to Plate’ as a natural progression of the impactful partnership between the Lagos State Government and BATN Foundation.

According to him, the success of ‘Fingerlings to Fork’ demonstrated the transformative impact of well-designed public-private partnerships in agriculture and provided a strong foundation for expanding interventions into poultry production.
He noted that the programme would equip farmers with modern poultry production techniques, biosecurity practices and agribusiness management skills to improve productivity, increase household incomes, create jobs and strengthen the state’s food system.

Speaking on the initiative, Oludare Odusanya, Executive Director of BATN Foundation, said the Foundation remains committed to building resilient agricultural value chains that empower farmers with the knowledge, tools and market opportunities required to operate profitable and sustainable enterprises.

“At BATN Foundation, we believe sustainable agricultural development goes beyond training. It is about equipping farmers with practical skills, improving productivity, strengthening value chains and creating opportunities that translate into lasting economic empowerment. ‘Chicks to Plate’ builds on the success of our partnership with the Lagos State Government and reflects our continued commitment to advancing food security, supporting rural livelihoods and enabling the next generation of successful agripreneurs,” he said.

The Programme Manager of LSADA, Mrs. Aderonke Toju Tubi, described the initiative as another milestone in the Authority’s efforts to strengthen agricultural extension services and equip farmers with the practical knowledge and modern production techniques required to establish resilient and profitable agribusinesses.

The ‘Chicks to Plate’ Project reinforces the shared commitment of BATN Foundation and the Lagos State Government to leveraging strategic partnerships to drive agricultural transformation, improve food security, create employment and promote inclusive economic growth.

As the partnership enters its next phase, both organisations expressed confidence that the intervention will accelerate poultry production, strengthen farmer resilience and contribute meaningfully to Lagos State’s vision of building a more productive, sustainable and food-secure economy.