Food Summit: L-R: Abolaji Anifowoshe, Vice President, Commercial, Olam Agri in Nigeria; Bisola Olusanya, Commissioner for Agriculture, Lagos State; and Seyi Adesomi, Vice President, Manufacturing & Technical Services, Olam Agri in Nigeria
In celebration of World Food Day (WFD) on October 16, Olam Agri, a leading player in the food, feed and fibre sectors, has reinforced its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s food security by sponsoring a series of impactful events under the Eko World Food Day initiative, donated 800 food boxes to vulnerable communities, and commissioned boreholes to enhance access to clean water for key farming communities.
Key activities to mark global World Food Day included the Eko Food Day initiative, sponsored by Olam Agri, highlighted the importance of increasing domestic food production and promoting healthy diets for Lagos State residents. Other activities included a Road Walk organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, a Food Systems Champions’ Summit bringing together agro-industry stakeholders, a Lagos Agricultural Scholars Quiz Competition for secondary school students, and the World Food Day Grand Finale hosted by the Lagos State Governor.
Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Bisola Olusanya, praised Olam Agri’s contributions, stating, “Olam Agri is an essential partner in transforming the Lagos food production landscape. Their robust production, processing, packaging, and distribution capacity plays a critical role in scaling growth across the food value chain. This partnership with the state government is essential for achieving our shared goals in food security.”
In addition to sponsoring these transformative events, Olam Agri partnered with the Lagos Food Bank to distribute 800 food boxes, valued at ₦13 million, to vulnerable residents. Five hundred of the food boxes went to vulnerable residents of Makoko and Ajegunle and 300 food boxes allocated towards hunger relief in flood-affected areas of Maiduguri, supporting displaced individuals with much-needed food aid.
Furthering its support for communities, Olam Agri has committed boreholes in Baure and Agon, two key farming communities in Nasarawa where the company operates rice and sesame units to be commissioned this October. These boreholes will provide clean drinking water, enhance food security, and boost agricultural productivity by reducing the risks of waterborne diseases and improving overall community health.
Anil Nair, Managing Director of Olam Agri Nigeria, emphasised the company’s dedication to food security, stating, “The right to food and nutrition is fundamental to inclusive growth. We are committed to expanding access to quality, nutritious, affordable food for all Nigerians. Our social investment projects, such as sponsoring the Eko World Food Day, distributing food boxes, and commissioning boreholes, directly contribute to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope agenda and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger.”
Nair also acknowledged the importance of partnerships, adding, “We are grateful to the Lagos State Government for the opportunity to collaborate on improving local food production. Our efforts during World Food Day underscore our commitment to supporting critical initiatives that strengthen food security in Nigeria.”
As part of its internal engagement for World Food Day, Olam Agri hosted a food Competition for employees, promoting inclusion and collaboration within the workplace. Recognised as a Top Employer, Olam Agri continues to foster a dynamic and supportive work environment.
About Olam Agri
Olam Agri is a market leading, differentiated food, feed and fibre agri-business with a global origination footprint, processing capabilities and deep understanding of market needs built over 33 years. With a strong presence in high-growth emerging markets and products across grains & oilseeds, integrated feed & protein, rice, edible oils, specialty grains & seeds, cotton, wood products, rubber and commodity financial services, Olam Agri is at the heart of global food and agri-trade flows with 38.3 million MT in volume traded in 2022. Focused on transforming food, feed, and fibre for a more sustainable future, it aims at creating value for customers, enable farming communities to prosper sustainably and strive for a food-secure future. Olam Agri is a fully owned subsidiary of Olam Group. For more information and to subscribe to our news alerts, please visit https://www.olamagri.com/.
About Olam Group
Olam Group is a leading food and agri-business supplying food, ingredients, feed, and fibre to 20,200 customers worldwide. Our value chain spans over 60 countries and includes farming, processing, and distribution operations, as well as a global network of farmers. Through our purpose to ‘Re-imagine Global Agriculture and Food Systems’, Olam Group aims to address the many challenges involved in meeting the needs of a growing global population, while achieving positive impact for farming communities, our planet and all our stakeholders. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, Olam Group currently ranks among the top 30 largest primary listed companies in terms of market capitalization on SGX-ST.
Since June 2020, Olam Group has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, a global sustainable investment index series developed by FTSE Russell, following a rigorous assessment of Olam’s supply chain activities, impact on the environment and governance transparency. The FTSE4Good Index Series identifies companies that demonstrate strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices and is used by a variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds. More information on Olam can be found at www.olamgroup.com.
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