BATN Foundation Empowers 200 Jigawa Women with Poultry Birds, Feed, Medication

Two hundred women in Jigawa State have received poultry birds, feed and medication from the BATN Foundation under its EMPOWER-Her Poultry Project, an initiative aimed at improving household income and strengthening food security across rural communities.

The beneficiaries received the support after undergoing training in poultry production and enterprise management as part of the initiative launched in Dutse, the state capital, on September 4, 2026. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Jigawa State Government and development partners, with a focus on equipping women in rural communities with productive assets and skills to establish sustainable poultry businesses.

Each beneficiary received 20 Noiler birds, a bag of poultry feed and medication, alongside practical training intended to help them manage the birds and operate the venture as an enterprise. The Noiler bird, a dual-purpose breed that produces both meat and eggs, was selected because it can withstand heat and requires relatively low feeding costs, making it well-suited to the climatic and economic realities of northern Nigeria.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Project Manager of BATN Foundation, Adetola Oniyelu, said the intervention was designed to go beyond the distribution of agricultural inputs by helping beneficiaries develop viable sources of income. "For us, empowerment goes beyond providing inputs. It is about creating opportunities for women to build productive businesses, generate income, contribute to household food security and strengthen their economic resilience," Oniyelu said. He added that supporting the women to participate in poultry production would create opportunities for sustainable livelihoods while enabling them to contribute more to their families and communities.

The initiative is expected to improve the economic resilience of the participating families while increasing access to animal protein within their communities. Poultry production provides opportunities for rural households to generate income through the sale of eggs and meat, while also contributing to household food supply and nutrition. For many of the beneficiaries, the poultry starter kits represent not just a source of food, but a pathway to financial independence and a means of contributing more meaningfully to the economic wellbeing of their households.

Government officials at the event urged the beneficiaries to treat the poultry birds and other inputs as productive assets and manage the businesses sustainably. The Jigawa State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Muttaka Namadi, commended the initiative and called for collaboration, transparency and sustainability to make the project replicable across other communities. The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hadiza Abdulwahab, also urged the beneficiaries to treat the birds as productive assets and manage the initiative as a business capable of generating long-term returns. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Auwalu Ado Shehu, was also present at the event, alongside other stakeholders.

The project is being implemented by AHALSON General Enterprises Ltd., which has implemented about six similar projects, four of them in Jigawa State. The programme is being delivered through centres in Dutse and Hadejia, covering neighbouring local government areas. The initiative is sponsored by the BATN Foundation in collaboration with the Jigawa State Ministry of Planning and Budget.

The EMPOWER-Her Poultry Project forms part of BATN Foundation's broader efforts to promote women's economic empowerment and inclusive agricultural development. The foundation has identified poultry as one of the most accessible agricultural enterprises for rural women, offering opportunities for regular income through the sale of eggs and meat while contributing to household food and nutrition needs. By providing 200 women with poultry assets, inputs and practical training, the intervention seeks to strengthen household livelihoods and support greater participation of rural women in the agricultural value chain.

The BATN Foundation, established in 2002 as an independent charity by British American Tobacco Nigeria, has a long history of supporting agricultural development and rural livelihoods across Nigeria. The foundation has been actively involved in a range of initiatives, from tree-planting campaigns to aquaculture and clean water provision, with a particular focus on empowering women and youth in rural communities. The EMPOWER-Her Poultry Project reflects the foundation's commitment to creating stronger households, more resilient communities and sustainable livelihoods across Jigawa State.

For the 200 women who received the poultry birds, feed and medication, the intervention represents far more than a charitable handout. It is an investment in their capacity to generate income, feed their families and contribute to the economic life of their communities. As the birds mature and begin producing eggs and meat, the benefits will ripple outward, strengthening household finances, improving nutrition and demonstrating the transformative potential of targeted agricultural empowerment programmes. The success of this initiative will be measured not only in the number of birds distributed, but in the businesses built, the incomes earned and the families lifted out of poverty.