In three years, no fewer than 1,000 persons have graduated from the Crown Flour Angels (CFA) Baking Academy, a flagship programme of Olam Agri’s Seeds for the Future (SFTF) initiative.
The latest people to complete the training scheme were 355 women, who learned 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.
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.”
Also speaking, the Kano State Coordinator for NABTEB, Talatu Muazu, 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 for Commerce and Investment in Kano State, Mr Shehu Wada Sagagi, who represented the state’s Deputy Governor at the event, said, 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.”
The General Manager/Head of Marketing at Olam Agri, Ms Bola Adeniji, said, “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.”
The Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the wheat-milling unit, Olam Agri, Nitin Mehta, 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.”
The Country Head of Olam Agri, Anil Nair, said, “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.”