The BATN Foundation (British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation) and the Lagos State Government have launched the “Chicks to Plate” project, a poultry development initiative that will train 200 prospective and existing poultry farmers in modern poultry production, farm management and agribusiness. Forty participating layer farmers will also receive additional enterprise support to help expand their businesses.
Project objectives
Implemented in partnership with the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority (LSADA), the initiative aims to:
- strengthen food production and food security in Lagos State;
- improve the productivity of poultry farmers;
- support agricultural livelihoods and economic opportunities.
The project comes as Lagos seeks to increase the proportion of food consumed in the state that is produced locally. According to Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, local food production is currently estimated at about 25%, with the state targeting an increase to 50%.
Training and technical content
The “Chicks to Plate” training workshop was held from 4 to 6 August 2026 at the LSADA facility in Oko-Oba, Agege, involving 200 farmers engaged in poultry production across Lagos State.
Participants received practical training covering:
- modern poultry production techniques;
- farm management and agribusiness;
- biosecurity practices aimed at supporting productivity and the resilience of poultry businesses.
In addition to the training, 40 layer farmers will receive enterprise support designed to help them expand their poultry businesses. The available reports do not provide sufficient detail to specify the exact nature of this support.
From “Fingerlings to Fork” to “Chicks to Plate”
“Chicks to Plate” represents the latest phase of an eight-year agricultural partnership between BATN Foundation and the Lagos State Government, which began in 2018 with the “Fingerlings to Fork” programme focused on aquaculture.
Between 2018 and 2025, “Fingerlings to Fork” trained 1,436 fish farmers in modern aquaculture, processing, packaging, export readiness and farm management. Participants also received productive assets, including fish-smoking kilns and tarpaulin ponds.
According to Lagos State officials, the experience gained through “Fingerlings to Fork” provided a basis for extending the partnership into poultry production. The new initiative maintains the broader focus on improving farmers’ productivity, incomes and participation in agricultural value chains.
Positions of institutions and the foundation
The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, said poultry has the potential to improve access to animal protein, create employment opportunities and strengthen agricultural value chains.
Emmanuel Audu, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, described “Chicks to Plate” as an extension of the partnership between the Lagos State Government and BATN Foundation. According to state officials, the experience from the “Fingerlings to Fork” programme helped provide the basis for expanding the collaboration into poultry production.
Oludare Odusanya, Executive Director of BATN Foundation, stressed that sustainable agricultural development requires more than training, arguing that farmers also need practical skills, tools and opportunities that can improve the commercial viability of their businesses.
LSADA Programme Manager Aderonke TojuTubi said the initiative would strengthen agricultural extension services by providing farmers with practical knowledge and modern production techniques.
Context and implications for the poultry sector
The initiative is part of Lagos State’s broader efforts to expand local agricultural production and improve food availability. According to state officials, poultry can contribute to this objective by increasing access to animal protein while creating employment opportunities and strengthening agricultural value chains.
Lagos is also seeking to reduce pressure associated with its dependence on food supplies from outside the state by increasing local production. The “Chicks to Plate” project therefore places poultry within the state’s wider strategy to strengthen agricultural production and food security.
The partnership between the Lagos State Government and BATN Foundation is consequently expanding from its earlier focus on aquaculture to poultry production, while maintaining its broader emphasis on farmer productivity, livelihoods and agricultural value-chain development.
