BAT Nigeria Foundation Kicks Off "Wealth is Here" Initiative, Implore Youths To Embrace New Opportunity

British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, in other to expose Nigerian youths to the entrepreneurial opportunities in the country, has launched "Wealth is Here" initiative, charge youths to embrace the new opportunity.

The wealth is here initiative was created in the wake of the Libya slavery, brought to light by a Cable Network News (CNN) expository that revealed the desperate and increasing migration of youths out of Nigeria. Also, in recent times we have also heard of violent attacks on Nigerians living abroad. It is our expectation that this campaign will revive hope and patriotism in the Nigerian Youth about their nation and most importantly inspire entrepreneurial interest in the Agricultural sector.

Speaking during the launch, yesterday in Lagos, the Executive Director, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, Abimbola Okoya said, "we have decided to base the initiative on Agriculture because, irrefutable agriculture is the largest employer of Labour and one of the fastest ways to build an army of prosperous people. There are opportunities to thrive in the sector and through the wealth is here campaign initiative, BAT Nigeria Foundation will expose young people to entrepreneurial opportunities, advocate for policies that affect agric-preneurs and farmers, provide access to finance, markets and the technical support to encourage the establishment of viable businesses."

"Through this initiative we would expose youth and everyone who needs to know that wealth is here in Nigeria. As a Foundation, this campaign is one of the many development initiatives we have implemented since we were established and in 2018. We reiterated our commitment to support sustainable agriculture development through the unveiling of our development assistance framework- the 2022 country programme and the pledge to invest seven hundred million naira towards the achievement of this mandate."

Giving a background to the launch, the Managing Director, BAT Nigeria, Yarub Al-Bahrani, said "BAT Nigeria Foundation was established in 2002, with the goal to support the socio-economic development of Nigeria.It has been, seventeen years of providing portable water building local capacity and supporting smallholder farmers in rural locations.With an investment of over 1.6billion naira in sustainable agriculture, the Foundation has reached over 36,000 farmers; but the impact of this is threatened by the mass migration of Nigerian youths to other countries that promise economic liberation."

Al-Bahrani said, Nigeria is a country that is rich in Agricultural resources with an arable land mass of 78.5million hectares and a climate favourable to a wide variety of crop cultivation and animal rearing.In the second quarter of 2019, the sector contributed 21.9percent to the national Gross Development Product (GDP) and was ranked third highest of a non-oil sector. It is the largest employer of labour anf an industry with the potential to generate billions of dollars.

Food drives the world; for instance, China, America, Netherlands, France Brazil, India, to name a few, are examples of global players in agriculture, with a combined export value of about 650billion dollars. So, we must change the narrative that Nigeria has little to offer the youth because our story of wealth and prosperity will be impossible without the active participation of young people, who represent around 70 percent of the country's population.

The "Wealth is Here" campaign is an initiative to change the narrative and to rewrite our story.This campaign is about providing hope, most importantly, creating multipliers in the economy for inclusive growth and shared prosperity.

Speaking further at the launch,  the Chairman, Board of Directors, BATN Foundation, Kola Jamodu, said the launch of "Wealth is Here" Campaign is to engage the youths in agriculture and turn their creative ideas to successful agribusiness enterprises.
"The objective of the campaign is to change the mindset of Nigerians to believe they can excel in Nigeria by exposing them to agric-preneurial opportunities and providing them access to finance and markets in enabling young people establish viable business enterprises".

"The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation is committed to drive this narrative that there is wealth in Agriculture and there is wealth in Nigeria."

Also at the event was the face of the Special Assistant to the President on Foreign affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri ably-represented by Ololade Olaoba, said "this initiative will help our youth, it will interest you  to know here that Agriculture is the main focus of the SDGs goal 5.The launch of this initiative  is coming at the right time to integrate our citizens who were part of illegal migration that came from Libya.Government engaged these youths in shoemaking, the solution is a collective work.Our concern should be how to give Nigerian Youths better job opportunities which are causes of going to Europe for greener pastures.This initiative will succeed in exposing youth in entrepreneurial opportunities in Agriculture and it is of my interest for a better Nigeria.

BAT Nigerian Foundation at the close of the event, gave whooping cash prizes to farmers for the future grant that ceased this opportunity.

Speaking at the event, the 1st prize winner of the farmers for the future grant, Taiwo, Olawumi Iyiola, a 24-year graduate of Forestry and Wood Technology from The Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo-State got a cheque of five million naira from BAT Nigeria Foundation.

 "I am the founder of Quotidian-V Foods Company, "Quotidian is a German word that means "daily" and "v" stands for value which mean I give value everyday.it us a beekeeping and honey production business which started in December 2018 with the desire to ensure that consumers have access to pure organic honey.

Concluding her remarks, Iyiola said,  with the support of British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation through the Farmers for the Future grant, I will incorporate the business, standardize operations and expand it to a viable agriculture enterprise".

 The second prize winner Chiamaka Ndukwu, 24-year old graduate of Animal Science and Technology from the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State got 1.5million and the third prize winner Lucy Chioma Aniagolu a 21-year old indigent of Mgbagbu Owa town of Ezeagu local government got a cheque of 1million naira. "We appreciate BAT Nigeria Foundation for this initiative and we vow to make optimum use of the fund given to us."