Nigeria: BATN Foundation Empowers Epe Community With Fish Farming Project

Source from:  Daily Independent (Lagos) 06/08/2009

The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has handed-over a Fish Farm to the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation Cooperative Society in Epe, Lagos State. Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Enock Ajiboso, commended the Foundation for its support to the Epe community. He said the BATNF has shown itself as a good corporate citizen of this country, adding that the ministry has sufficient statistics that showed that the project is a profitable one and expressed confidence that the farmers will make optimum use of this facility. On the import of the project on the micro-economy of the community, the commissioner noted that the Fish farm is very important because it has been developed for the grassroots, promising that the ministry will also offer its support to the farmers. "The Ministry is open for discussions on how best this wonderful facility can be utilised," he stated. The Chairman, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Chief Olu Akinkugbe, who was represented at the event by the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr. Foluso Koku, explained that the Epe Fish Farm Project was under one of the four pillars of the focal areas of the Foundation which is sustainable agricultural development. "After a series of internal discussions and planning, the Foundation's Technical Committee articulated this concept into three essential phases: conduction of Fish Farming Workshop in Epe; practical training of farmers on modern methods of aquaculture and marketing fish stock as well as encouraging them to build their own Fish farm, funded by the Foundation," he said. He extolled the farmers for their commitment to the project and enjoined them to cooperate to ensure that they make maximum use of the opportunity. "The level of commitment exhibited by the farmers who have gone through the three stages of training is very commendable. Both the young and old have contributed to build this farm. Please remain as a cooperative with a common objective to excel in aquaculture," he remarked. Koku also explained that the site of Fish farm does not belong to the BATN Foundation but rather belonged to the BATNF Epe Farmers Cooperative Group, noting that the group purchased the four plots of land from the proceeds that they generated from the sales of the first crop of fish during the practical training. He also pointed out that the establishment of the BATN Foundation's project within the Araga Farm Settlement is an affirmation of BATNF's support to the Lagos State Government's laudable interest in encouraging agricultural development in the state through collective and individual efforts. He noted that some of the technocrats who facilitated the project include; Dr. Ladi Hamalai, Head, BATNF Technical Committee and also a Director in the BATNF and Prof. A. Omotayo of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Enditem