Olam Agri has been commended for its sustained investment in women’s economic empowerment as its Crown Flour Angels (CFA) Baking Academy graduated 355 women, bringing total beneficiaries to 1,004 in just three years.
The academy, a flagship programme under Olam Agri’s Seeds for the Future (SFTF) initiative, trains women in baking and entrepreneurship through an intensive four-week course that includes professional certification from the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB). Graduates gain market-ready skills and the confidence to build sustainable businesses.
SFTF is Olam Agri’s signature value chain development platform in Nigeria, driving impact through focus areas: improving local wheat production, advancing education and skills for young people, empowering women, promoting health and nutrition nationwide and reducing carbon emission.
Commending Olam Agri’s extraordinary focus, Talatu Muazu, Kano State Coordinator for NABTEB, said, “Helping the women acquire top baking skills and enrol for professional certification under the same programme is a testament to the Crown Flour Angels initiative’s commitment to excellence. These efforts will have a lasting impact on these young lives, and I am confident that they will go on to achieve great things.”
The Commissioner, Ministry for Commerce & Investment, Kano State, Hon Shehu Wada Sagagi, who represented the state’s Deputy Governor at the event, captured the impact of the initiative more succinctly. He explained, “What makes me happier is that the graduates of the baking academy are women. Considering the plight of women in our society and the economic situation, our women need to be empowered to raise their incomes. I am delighted with what Olam Agri is doing for these women. As a government, we need to identify with this great initiative as it supports and balances the state’s various empowerment agendas.”
On behalf of the graduating women, Aisha Ahmad Abdullahi thanked the company for investing in her and her colleagues: “My colleagues and I have had an amazing time learning new things about baking. I didn’t believe I could bake the way I do now. The skills and insights I have acquired in the academy have raised my confidence in building a baking business. I am grateful to Olam Agri.”
Bola Adeniji, General Manager/ Head of Marketing, Olam Agri, highlighted the essence of the initiative. According to her, “We believe that real corporate success must go hand-in-hand with social impact. As part of our corporate social responsibility, we are deeply committed to empowering the communities where we operate – and among our most impactful initiatives is the Crown Flour Angels programme.”
Nitin Mehta, Vice President & Managing Director of the wheat-milling unit, Olam Agri, said, “The Crown Flour Angels programme was initiated to equip women with useful skills that will enable them to participate effectively in the economy, and provide support for households. By equipping women with baking and entrepreneurship skills, we are launching them into a growing market where their skills and experience are certain to yield rewards.”
Anil Nair, Country Head, Olam Agri, emphasised the contribution of the initiative to the federal government’s economic development agenda. He explained, “Olam Agri was founded here in 1989. As a business that originated from Nigeria, we reserve a special place for the country, as evidenced in our continuous investment in the improvement of the country’s food systems, the well-being of its citizens, and the attainment of the key federal and state economic growth agendas. The Crown Flour Angels initiative supports the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with a focus on women’s empowerment. Congratulations to the women who have benefited from this effort.”
