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Tag: BATN

  • BATN ‘commited’ to workers’ welfare

    BATN ‘commited’ to workers’ welfare

    The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) has reiterated its commitment to the welfare of its employees, saying it is part of its internal human rights policy.

    Speaking with reporters, its Legal & External Affairs Director, Freddy Messanvi, said the firm has existed in Nigeria for over 100 years and  proud of its heritage and positive relationship with its staff.

    He said: “I wish to emphasise that BATN has reiterated its commitment to the welfare of its employees, as part of its internal human rights policy.

    “As part of a global operation with a local footprint in Nigeria, we are focused on placing a high premium on our human capital and great talent pool. We are also mindful of providing great and safe place to work as we understand the impact of our people in the growth and sustainability of the company. We invest in our people as we understand that they are a competitive advantage and their welfare is taken very seriously.”

    He said the firm, over the past five years, has maintained zero incidence of no work place injury and are very firm with its environment, health and safety policy implementation which applies to not just employees but also contractors, visitors and suppliers in our factories and offices.

  • We’re committed to workers’ welfare, says BATN

    BRITISH American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) in its reaction, reiterated its commitment to the welfare of its employees, saying that it is part of its internal human rights policy to be fair to all its employees. Oluwaseyi Ashade, the BATN’s Head of Corporate Affairs in a statement to clarify issues said that it has existed in Nigeria for over 100 years and extremely proud of its heritage and positive relationship with Nigerians.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been brought to certain allegations that were made by a group of former employees and anti-tobacco NGOs against our company.

    “These allegations are based on labour issues which were managed according to our policies and ranged on various issues, which included poor performance, disciplinary issues as well as health related redundancy. All these cases were objectively determined in line with our internal processes, global policies and all extant Nigerian Laws.

    “However, some of these former employees wished to serve their self-interest by making demands which are not acceptable under Nigerian Laws. In addition, they have continued to make veiled and written threats against us with the intention of causing reputational damage.

    “Our expectations will be that if there are any grievances with the process and procedures for disengagement, such grievance will be heard and determined under existing employee/employers dispute resolution mechanism including taking such grievances to the relevant court and trusting the judicial system to hear both sides before making a judicial pronouncement. As it stands, one of the employees has a case in court against us and we are unable to comment on the specifics of this case in deference to the court.

    “We therefore note with bewilderment that the former employees involved anti-tobacco NGOs who have over the years openly advocated for the closure of the legal tobacco industry in Nigeria to suddenly become the vanguard for tobacco employees.”

  • BATN to enhance smallholder farming

    The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF)  is mapping out new strategies to boost agricultural productivity with focus on better ways of enriching smallholder famers to earn decent incomes from their agricultural activities.

    Its General Manager, Abimbola Okoya, who spoke on the sideline at a stakeholders’ conference by firm, said: “These interventions have transformed lives of beneficiaries through capacity building initiatives and creation of enabling environment for smallholder farmers to effectively distribute their agricultural produce.”

    She said the Foundation’s interaction with the stakeholders was very significant given BATNF’s yearning for sustainable agricultural development, which includes enriching lives of smallholder farmers, providing periodic information on agricultural development, and sharing learning on agriculture-related matters, and other beneficiaries within the value chain.

    One of the major objectives of the stakeholder engagement forum was to devise new and better approaches to driving sustainable agricultural practice that will reduce poverty and make positive, longer-lasting impact on beneficiaries across many communities in Nigeria.

    The firm said the implementing partners oversee the execution of the Foundation’s agriculture enterprise development projects by ensuring agriculturally and environmentally sound design and implementation of the projects.

    Similarly, it added, they monitor the progress of the interventions and present periodic reports to the Foundation.

     

  • BATN empowers small farmers

    BATN empowers small farmers

    The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has reiterated its commitment to supporting the government’s poverty alleviation schemes with its strategic investments  targeted at  empowering small farmers, to improve productivity and earn decent incomes from their agricultural activities.

    Its General Manager, Abimbola Okoya, while speaking at an interactive session organised by the foundation for its key stakeholders to map out new strategies to boost agricultural productivity with a focus on better ways of enriching smallholder famers, said  their activities are focused on where they could achieve the most impact in the agriculture value chain.

    “The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation has recorded remarkable milestones through the deployment of strategic intervention schemes focusing on provision of potable water supply, vocational skills development, agricultural development, and environmental protection since its establishment in 2002,” said Ms Okoya, while addressing stakeholders at the conference which held in Ibadan, Oyo State. “These interventions have transformed the lives of beneficiaries through capacity building initiatives and creation of enabling environment for smallholder farmers to effectively distribute their agricultural produce,” she added.

    The conferees discussed proactive approaches to increasing crop yield and enhancing natural resource through capacity building, technical assistance from reputable enterprise-based organisations as well as paving ways for easy access for the distribution of agricultural produce.

    Okoya said: “This strategic meeting with the technical partners becomes necessary due to BATN Foundation’s yearning for sustainable agricultural development, enriching lives of smallholder farmers, providing periodic information on agricultural development, and sharing learning on agriculture-related matters. The BATN Foundation is particularly concerned about the impact of the interventions on the lives of smallholder farmers and other beneficiaries within the value chain.”

    She said the organisation recognises the pivotal role of its partners in implementing the foundation’s corporate social investments. “All the stakeholders must adopt the BATNF’s new ways of working, one of which is ensuring that the interventions’ impact on the beneficiaries are easily measurable with respect to variables such as changes in average household, adequacy of level and stability of food supply and access, proportion of smallholder farmers and agro –entrepreneurs adopting new practices among many others,”  Okoya said.

  • BATN tackles anti-tobacco groups

    British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) Limited has restated its commitment to the implementation of the Lagos State Public Place Smoking Law, which came into effect last week.

    The firm said it would continue to support its key stakeholders to drive a fully compliant and well- regulated sector.

    The statement came against the backdrop of a reaction to BATN’s recent sensitisation of officers of the Lagos State Police Command on the Lagos State Public Place Smoking Law.

    The firm said it was surprised that a Lagos-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) would fault the sensitisation of enforcement agents on the new Lagos Public Smoking law.

    The Area Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, BAT West Africa, Freddy Messanvi, said the firm believes that this was a task which such NGOs should spearhead.

    He said help was needed from NGOs and other stakeholders to  boost the understanding and appreciation of the law and not engage in industry de-normalisation tactics.

    Other issues requiring the attention of stakeholders include stemming the tide of illegal trade in the sector and using the funding that the NGOs get from their international partners to build the capacity of agencies who work on tobacco control to ensure that there is compliance with the regulations.

    He said engagement with stakeholders, such as the sensitisation of officers of the Nigeria Police in Lagos was held in accordance with the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, FCTC, Article 5.3.

    The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), charged with enforcing the Lagos State Public Place Smoking Law, had embarked on sensitising   residents on the provisions of the law.

    A public hearing was held by the Joint Committee on Health and Justice of the House of Representatives. Stakeholders welcomed further regulation of the sector, charging the legislators to ensure that the law was balanced and enforceable.

    Pro-industry stakeholders at the event asked the law makers to ensure that there is a balance in whatever law that is passed.

     

  • BATN promises to obey anti-tobacco law

    BATN promises to obey anti-tobacco law

    British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) Limited has restated its commitment to the successful implementation of the Lagos State Public Place Smoking Law, which came into effect on August 17. The company said that it would continue to support key stakeholders in the country to drive a fully compliant and well regulated tobacco sector in a transparent and responsible manner.

    The statement came against the backdrop of a reaction to BATN’s recent sensitisation of officers of the Lagos State Police Command on the Lagos State Public Place Smoking Law.

    The company stated that it was surprised that a Lagos-based NGO would fault the sensitisation of enforcement agents on the recently passed Lagos Public Smoking law. Freddy Messanvi, Area Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, BAT West Africa, said that the company believes that this was a task which such NGOs should spearhead.

    Messanvi stated that help is needed from NGOs and other stakeholders to enhance understanding and appreciation of the law, and not a time to engage in industry de-normalisation tactics. Other issues requiring the urgent attention of all stakeholders include stemming the increasing tide of illegal trade within the sector and using the funding that the NGOs get from their international partners to build the capacity of agencies who work on tobacco control to ensure that there is compliance with stated laws and regulations.

    He said that engagement with stakeholders such as the recent sensitisation event of officers of the Nigeria Police in Lagos was held in accordance with the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, FCTC, Article 5.3. The sensitisation of the police was done in public and the engagement was transparently conducted.

     

     

  • BATN has created over 500,000 jobs, says director

    The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), has created of over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to its the Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs in West Africa, Fredick Messanvi.

    He told reporters in Lagos that BATN is also training and retraining its over 600 farmers.

    On the law passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly on tobacco regulation, which takes effect from August 17, Messanvi said: “The BATN is known to have opposed strict regulation of tobacco business and smoking culture in Nigeria for decades. What we want is that it must be enforced in a just manner as this is the only way it can achieve its intent.”

    BATN Head of Corporate Unit, Mrs. Oluwasoromidayo George, said the interactive forum was necestary to enable Nigerians, know the role the company is playing in boosting the economy.

    “As a nice story is always well told by the person that knows its roots, we bring in journalists today to know more about BATN to enable you tell the general public about who we are and what we do. There have been calls for regulation with stringent laws backing up the regulation.

    “We are not against regulation of cigarette or tobacco, in fact, we were the first to mute that regulation because we don’t want it to sound as if we are forcing people into smoking, no, we want smoking to be controlled. What we want is full improved regulation, we want well coordinated control so that enforcement of the ban of smoking in some selected places will be restricted only to such places as specified by the law,” she said.

  • BATN urges balanced tobacco control bill

    BATN urges balanced tobacco control bill

    The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) has pledged to support the decision of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to send an executive bill to the National Assembly, saying it supports a balanced regulation of tobacco industry.
    Its Director for Corporate and Regulatory Affairs for West Africa, Mr. Freddy Messanvi, said BATN supports effective regulation of tobacco industry, adding that for regulation to be effective and achieve its objectives, it must be balanced and enforceable.
    He maintained that tobacco control laws must ensure that the legal industry is not affected by such laws to undue advantage of criminal tobacco smuggling rings.
    He said: “We have not seen the bill yet; so we cannot make any comments on the proposals in the bill. All we can say at this point is that, care should be taken to ensure that the proposals in the bill do not lead to unintended consequences, then the objectives for which such bills were passed will have been met.”
    Messanvi cited recent passage of the Lagos State Public Smoking Act as an example of good legislation, saying: “The process for the passage of the Lagos State Bill was inclusive and not discriminatory in any form. This is the ideal practice which must be emulated at all times”.
    The FEC agreed that an executive tobacco control bill should be sent to the National Assembly for consideration. The bill contains stiffer penalties for smoking in undesignated smoking areas than the Lagos State Smoking Act. The tobacco industry which consists of companies like BATN, Japan Tobacco International and several other small players have come under intense pressure in recent times from several internationally funded anti-tobacco orga nisations.
    Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs), such as the American CTFK have joined Environmental Rights Action Group (Friends of the earth) and Coalition against Tobacco in the fight against the industry.
    The executive bill will be the 4th bill to be introduced into the National Assembly in recent times.

  • BATN welcomes anti-smoking bill, says it is balanced

    BATN welcomes anti-smoking bill, says it is balanced

    The recent passage into Law of the Lagos State Public Place Smoking Bill has drawn commendation from British American Tobacco Nigeria.

    The company, through its Director, of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs in West Africa, Mr. Freddy Messanvi, said that the State has shown a good example of how a balanced and effective law can be passed.

    The process, he said was transparent and the public hearing and eventual drafting of the bill took all relevant views into consideration. He reiterated earlier views from the company which said that “the bill itself was neither excessive nor discriminatory”.

    He, however, said he hoped that there will be adequate sensitization of all Lagosians especially those who trade in tobacco or who will enforce the laws. Messanvi stated that for laws to be effective, it must be enforced in a just manner as this is the only way it can achieve its intent.

     

  • BATN, SON, others seek stiffer penalties against illicit trade

    BATN, SON, others seek stiffer penalties against illicit trade

    British American Tobacco, Nigeria (BATN), in a concerted effort with other stakeholders from the public and organised private sectors, has advocated for a new regime of stiffer penalties and sanctions as a panacea that will address the ills and menace of illicit trade in the country.

    BATN, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Manufacturers association of Nigeria (MAN) and Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) all agreed that this was the way out for the country in a forum organised by the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN), to x-ray the impact of illicit trade on Nigeria’s economy and also proffer viable solutions to the menace.

    Sola Dosunmu, Head of Regulatory Affairs British American Tobacco (West Africa), stated that the major reason illicit trade thrives is the economic opportunity it offers for the smuggler and illicit vendor to make money and also for the consumer to save money.

    He disclosed that the company’s collaboration with enforcement authorities such as the SON, Customs and the CPC has yielded considerable results in reducing illicit trade; increased revenue to the government through taxes; seizure and destruction of approximately $10m worth of illicit cigarettes between 2008 and 2013.

    In his remarks, the Director General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, noted that if importers and exporters do the right thing that is by complying with all the relevant laws, there would be no nuisance of smuggling.

    “The challenge is on the doorstep of all importers, if we are able to curb the menace of unscrupulous importers then we would have solved about 70 per cent of the menace of smuggling in Nigeria. We need stiffer and heavier forms of sanctions across the value chain starting from the importers which is better than just destroying these smuggled goods,” he said.

    In his address, the acting DG of MAN, Rasheed Adegbenro, also recommended the impositions of relevant sanctions across the value chain such as on dealers and shipping/air freighting companies to discourage trade malpractices.

    According to,, Dr. John Isemede, the Director General of NACCIMA, trade was the basis to consider the menace of smuggling as it borders on both import and export activities. However, he stressed that the Nigerian customs service has the bulk of responsibility as the country’s gatekeepers in curbing smuggling.

    The DG of LCCI, in his presentation noted stressed that only a holistic approach can be used to address the menace of smuggling through the creation of enforceable policies within the environment that we find ourselves; addressing the current weak infrastructure which increases cost of production and increasing local content addition in the production of goods.

    Assistant controller of Customs, Edema Albert, who represented the Comptroller General of Customs, noted that besides statutory collection of revenue, they were using technology to checkmate smuggling through a unified single window process that strives to minimize human contact to the barest minimum in order to eliminate incidences of document falsification and under-invoicing.

    Earlier, the chairman of CICAN, Toba Agboola, stated that the negative effects of smuggling were felt in the economic, environmental and social settings of a nation.