By Esther Onyegbula

The BATN Foundation has strengthened efforts at boosting food security in Lagos with the donation of 60 modern smoking kilns and 40 foldable fish ponds to trained smallholder farmers, as the state concluded activities marking the 2025 Eko World Food Day.

The donation was made at the grand finale of the Eko World Food Day Fair held at the Police College, Ikeja, and formed part of the United Nations World Food Day global commemoration promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, with the theme, “Hand in Hand, for Better Food and Better Future.”

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, commended the BATN Foundation for its sustained support for agricultural development in the state, noting that partnerships with the private sector remain critical to ensuring food sufficiency in a megacity like Lagos.

According to the governor, feeding Lagos requires innovation, investment and collaboration, adding that the state government would continue to support initiatives that enhance productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers’ livelihoods despite the state’s limited land mass.

The Eko World Food Day Fair, organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, brought together farmers, agripreneurs, corporate organisations and policymakers to showcase solutions aimed at strengthening food systems and improving access to affordable food.

At the event, the BATN Foundation, in partnership with the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority, LSADA, officially commissioned and distributed the smoking kilns and foldable ponds under its Fingerlings to Fork project. The equipment was provided to smallholder farmers who had completed the Foundation’s technical and agribusiness training programme.

Speaking at the event, a Board Director of the BATN Foundation, Mr. Yarub Al-Bahrani, said food security could only be achieved through collective action involving government, the private sector and civil society.

He disclosed that the Foundation has reached over 1.7 million beneficiaries nationwide and supported more than 300,000 farmers across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory through various agricultural and enterprise development interventions.

Another Board Director, Mrs. Odiri Erewa-Meggison, said the theme of the 2025 World Food Day underscored the importance of collaboration in building sustainable and climate-resilient food systems. She explained that the donated infrastructure would help farmers improve processing efficiency, reduce losses and build commercially viable agribusinesses.

The fair also served as a marketplace where smallholder farmers and cooperatives sold fresh produce directly to residents at controlled prices, promoting affordability, local value addition and direct linkage between producers and consumers.

Dignitaries at the event included the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin; Board Directors of the BATN Foundation, Yarub Al-Bahrani, Odiri Erewa-Meggison and Umair Luqman; as well as representatives of Stanbic IBTC Bank and other development partners. Hundreds of farmers, agripreneurs and civil society groups were also in attendance.

Established in 2002, the BATN Foundation has executed over 350 community development projects across Nigeria, focusing on sustainable agriculture, rural enterprise development and youth empowerment. The Foundation said its continued collaboration with the Lagos State Government aligns with global development priorities, including the Zero Hunger goal and partnerships for sustainable development.

As the 2025 Eko World Food Day celebrations came to a close, stakeholders reiterated the need for sustained cooperation and shared investment to build resilient food systems capable of meeting the needs of Lagos residents.