Bennett Oghifo
BATN Foundation has empowered 200 women in Jigawa State with poultry assets and enterprise training to boost household incomes, food security and rural livelihoods.
The beneficiaries were supported under the Foundation’s EMPOWER-Her Poultry Project, an intervention designed to expand women’s access to productive assets, strengthen their participation in the agricultural value chain and create sustainable income-generating opportunities.
The project was inaugurated on September 4, 2026, in Dutse, Jigawa State, in collaboration with the Jigawa State Government and development partners.
Under the programme, the women received Noiler birds, poultry feed and medication after undergoing training in poultry production and enterprise management.
The intervention is targeted at addressing some of the constraints confronting women in rural communities, particularly limited access to productive resources, enterprise opportunities, technical knowledge and sustainable sources of income.
Speaking at the inauguration, Project Manager, BATN Foundation, Adetola Oniyelu, said the initiative was designed to ensure that empowerment translated into sustainable economic opportunities for the beneficiaries.
“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,” he said.
Oniyelu said supporting the women to participate in the poultry value chain would create pathways to sustainable livelihoods while strengthening their capacity to contribute to the economic wellbeing of their families and communities.
He explained the intervention reflected BATN Foundation’s commitment to creating opportunities for women to establish and grow productive enterprises.
Poultry production remains an important entry point into agriculture for rural women because it requires relatively manageable levels of investment and provides opportunities for regular income through the sale of eggs and meat.
The Foundation’s intervention combines the provision of productive assets with practical training, an approach intended to equip the beneficiaries with both the resources and knowledge required to manage poultry enterprises.
Beyond income generation, the project is expected to improve household nutrition and food availability while helping beneficiary families build greater economic resilience.
Government officials who attended the inauguration commended the initiative and urged the beneficiaries to manage the poultry assets as viable businesses capable of generating long-term value.
They also stressed the importance of proper management, reinvestment and sustainability to ensure that the intervention continues to benefit the women beyond the initial support provided by the Foundation.
The inauguration was attended by the Jigawa State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon. Muttaka Namadi; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Abdulwahab; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Auwalu Ado Shehu; Oniyelu and other stakeholders.
The collaboration with the state government is expected to strengthen the project’s alignment with broader agricultural development and women’s empowerment objectives in Jigawa State.
For communities where agriculture remains central to household livelihoods, stakeholders said improving women’s access to productive assets could have wider effects on family income, nutrition and local economic activity.
Women play a major role in household wellbeing, food production and small-scale economic activities across rural communities, but their contribution is often constrained by inadequate access to finance, assets, markets and technical support.
The EMPOWER-Her Poultry Project seeks to address part of that gap by placing productive assets directly in the hands of 200 women while providing them with skills to manage the enterprises.
The Foundation said the objective was not simply to provide short-term assistance but to enable the beneficiaries to establish income-generating activities capable of supporting their families over time.
Through poultry production, the beneficiaries are expected to participate more actively in the agricultural value chain, generating income from eggs and meat while contributing to household food supplies.
BATN Foundation said the initiative underscored its commitment to women’s economic empowerment and inclusive agricultural development, with the ultimate objective of building stronger households and more resilient communities in Jigawa State.