BATN Foundation, Lagos Launch 'Chicks to Plate' Project to Train 200 Poultry Farmers

BATN Foundation has launched a new poultry development project in Lagos State that will train 200 prospective and existing poultry farmers, marking the latest phase in an expanding agricultural partnership between the foundation and the Lagos State Government aimed at strengthening food production and creating sustainable livelihoods.

The initiative, named the "Chicks to Plate" project, is being implemented in collaboration with the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority (LSADA) and will provide participants with practical, hands-on training in modern poultry production techniques, farm management, and broader agribusiness skills. According to a statement issued on Tuesday, 40 of the participating layer farmers will receive additional enterprise support designed to help them expand their businesses beyond the basic training provided to the wider group.

The poultry project represents the newest chapter in an eight-year partnership between BATN Foundation and the Lagos State Government, one that first began in 2018 with the "Fingerlings to Fork" programme, an initiative focused specifically on aquaculture development. Between 2018 and 2025, that earlier programme trained 1,436 fish farmers in modern aquaculture techniques, processing, packaging, export readiness, and general farm management, while also providing beneficiaries with production assets such as fish-smoking kilns and tarpaulin ponds to support their businesses.

The launch of the new poultry initiative comes as Lagos State works to increase the proportion of food consumed locally that is also produced within the state. According to the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, represented at the event by the Director of Agribusiness, Aramide Gansallo, the state currently estimates local food production at about 25 per cent of overall consumption, with an ambition to raise that figure to 50 per cent. Olusanya explained that poultry farming holds particular potential for improving residents' access to animal protein while simultaneously creating jobs and strengthening broader agricultural value chains within the state.

Beyond training in production techniques, the programme is also designed to address some of the operational and management challenges commonly facing poultry farmers, incorporating modern production methods and agribusiness best practices intended to improve overall farm viability and profitability.

Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Emmanuel Audu, represented by Bukola Idowu, described the poultry project as a natural extension of the state's existing partnership with BATN Foundation, noting that lessons and experience drawn from the earlier "Fingerlings to Fork" aquaculture programme provided a solid foundation for extending the collaboration into poultry production.

Executive Director of BATN Foundation, Oludare Odusanya, said sustainable agricultural development requires more than training alone, stressing that farmers also need access to practical tools and real opportunities capable of improving the commercial viability of their businesses. He explained that the foundation's approach centres on equipping farmers with practical skills, improving productivity, strengthening value chains, and creating opportunities that translate into lasting economic empowerment, adding that the "Chicks to Plate" project builds directly on the foundation's earlier work with the Lagos government while extending its focus into a new area of food production.

The project also includes dedicated training on biosecurity practices and modern poultry production standards, both of which directly affect farm productivity and the overall resilience of poultry businesses against disease outbreaks and other operational risks. Programme Manager at LSADA, Aderonke TojuTubi, said the initiative would strengthen agricultural extension services in the state by giving farmers practical knowledge and access to modern production techniques they can apply directly to their operations.

The shift from aquaculture to poultry marks a notable evolution in the scope of the BATN-Lagos partnership, while maintaining its broader, consistent focus on improving farmers' productivity and household incomes. For Lagos State, expanding local agricultural production remains an increasingly important policy priority as the state continues working to improve overall food availability and reduce its heavy reliance on food supplies sourced from outside the state.

Taken together, the partnership between the state government and BATN Foundation appears to be moving beyond simple, individual farmer training toward more targeted interventions designed to strengthen specific agricultural value chains, with poultry now standing as the latest focus area within that broader, multi-year collaborative effort.