NASARAWA, Nigeria – Olam Agri in Nigeria, an agribusiness transforming food, feed, and fiber, has further solidified its reputation as a leading investor in human capital development.
On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, the business which operates 4,451 hectares of rice farm and 215K MT of rice milling facility in Rukubi awarded scholarships to 87 indigent students during an event at its rice farm in Rukubi, Nasarawa State.
This scholarship program is part of the Seed for the Future (SFTF) initiative, a Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability (CSR) project of the agribusiness. The initiative supports farmers and farming communities by promoting education and skill development for young people, empowering women, enhancing health and nutrition, and reducing carbon emissions in business operations.
To promote broader education and skill development among young people in the host community, the business annually awards scholarships to tertiary students from Nasarawa State who meet specific academic criteria. Since the program’s inception in 2014, over 700 students have received financial support to pursue their academic goals.
During the scholarship presentation, Brijesh Nandal, Head of Operations at Olam Agri in Nigeria, stated, “We are delighted at the growing participation in our annual scholarship program. This reflects our deep commitment to empowering Nigerian youths through education. By supporting these students, we are investing in their future and the future of Nigeria.”
Similarly, Anil Nair, Country Head of Olam Agri in Nigeria, added, “We remain dedicated to nurturing the next generation of leaders and professionals who will contribute to the growth of our communities and the country. Our scholarship program aims to inspire students in our host communities and help them achieve their dreams and aspirations.”
Nair congratulated the recipients of this year’s scholarships and expressed confidence in their abilities. He encouraged them to work hard to make their communities proud.
One of the scholarship recipients, Veronica Elagbaye, praised Olam Agri for its sensitivity to the needs of students in its host community. She said the financial assistance would significantly help her meet her academic needs.
In 2023, Olam Agri also awarded scholarships to 15 students from the University of Lagos as part of its academic and economic development initiatives in Nigeria.
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.
