The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation  (BATNF) said it is planning to invest N8billion on various community development projects in Nigeria, in the next  two decades.

 

 

A member of the Foundation’s Board, Mr. Nomore  Mapanzure, disclosed this  to the media recently, in Lagos, while reflecting on the Foundation’s activities in Nigeria, since its inception, twenty years ago,  and its vision for another two decades.

 

 

According to him, while the Foundation had spent over N4billion on different projects across the country,  over the last two decades, it however  intends to raise the stakes to make more communities  and smallholder farmers benefit.

 

 

“In the past 20 years, the Foundation invested about N4billion on different community development projects, but we intend to take this higher. This  year, we have already budgeted N400m,  for more projects. And this, we intend to continue every year. So that gives an idea of how much we intend to invest in the next 20 years,” he stated.

 

 

Giving the highlights  of the Foundation’s investment and social impact, another  Board member, Mr. Yarub Al Bahrani, stated that the Foundation had been able to impact about 1.7million Nigerians through its various projects across communities in Nigeria,  since coming on board.

 

 

He added that, over two decades, it had also impacted over 300,000 smallholder farmers,  and invested  in  more than  300 community development projects, across states of Nigeria, including FCT.

 

 

Bahrani stated that one of the focal areas of the Foundation in the past two decades had been  on safe drinking and hygienic water for farmers, adding that BATNF had developed over 105 solar-powered boreholes to ensure beneficiaries have access to safe water.

 

 

He attributed the feats to the partnerships the Foundation was able to forge with over 100 stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, private sector organizations, and other industry stakeholders; since such collaboration, he noted, had enabled it leverage resources, expertise, and networks, while amplifying its impact and reach.

 

 

In her remarks, the Board Chairperson, BATNF, Adebisi Lamikanra, stated that the  Foundation had made tangible impact in the lives of rural smallholder farmers, women, and youth, promoting economic growth, and improving livelihoods, since it was set up.

 

 

“As we celebrate two decades of transformative impact, our focus on agriculture, the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, has been exploited by supporting smallholder farmers and equipping them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. Let us continue to nurture the seeds of change we’ve sown, and our unwavering commitment to empowering rural Nigeria be the catalyst for a brighter future for generations to come,” she stated.

 

 

Reflecting on the Foundation’s 20-year journey,  General Manager, Oludare Odusanya,  stated that the Foundation had, within the period under review, been privileged to partner with rural communities in Nigeria, witnessing first-hand, the power of knowledge acquisition and economic empowerment.

 

 

“This journey has been incredibly fulfilling, and we take great pride in the positive impact we’ve made thus far,” he added.

 

 

Photo Caption:

From Left: General Manager, Oludare Odusanya; Board Member, Odiri Erewa-Meggison; Board Member, Nomore Mapanzure; Board Chairperson, Adebisi Lamikanra;  and Board Member,Yarub Al Bahrani; all of British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN)  Foundation, at the media briefing, on Monday.