Nigerian agri-tech platform Babban Gona has secured a $7.5 million debt investment from British International Investment (BII), strengthening its mission to transform smallholder farming and build climate resilience in Northern Nigeria.
Tackling Barriers for Smallholder Farmers
Across Northern Nigeria—responsible for over half of the country’s maize output—millions of smallholder farmers face persistent challenges: limited access to finance, poor-quality inputs, lack of agronomic training, and weak links to reliable markets. These constraints are compounded by climate shocks such as floods and droughts, often resulting in post-harvest losses of up to 30 percent.
Babban Gona addresses these issues through its AI-powered platform, delivering end-to-end services that include access to high-quality seeds and fertilizers, working capital, agronomic training on climate-smart practices, post-harvest support, and connections to markets. Its model also integrates climate resilience tools, such as drought-tolerant seeds and yield insurance, ensuring farmers can recover from shocks and sustain their livelihoods.
Scaling Ambition with New Funding
With the new BII investment, Babban Gona aims to deepen its impact and expand its reach. The company has set a target to improve yields, income, and resilience for around 140,000 smallholder farmers by 2029. In the long term, Managing Director Kola Masha said the company’s vision is much bigger: “Our ambition is to support 50 million smallholder farmers worldwide and become the Earth’s highest-impact business.”
Masha also highlighted BII’s role in Babban Gona’s journey, recalling that the British government was the first institutional investor in its 2013 public debt raise. “Now, more than a decade later, to have BII commit an amount 10 times larger is a powerful testament to our shared vision for bettering the lives of smallholder farmers,” he said.
Endorsements of a Proven Model
The investment has drawn praise from UK officials who view Babban Gona as a model for agricultural transformation. Florence Eshalomi MP, UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria, said: “Babban Gona’s journey is a powerful example of what’s possible when we invest in Nigeria’s agricultural future. This partnership reflects the UK–Nigeria commitment to sustainable, inclusive growth.”
Jonny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, stressed the importance of Babban Gona’s franchise model: “Smallholder farmers and small businesses need access to both finance and sustainable technology. Babban Gona is helping them overcome these constraints to unlock growth, jobs, and food security.”
Transforming Agriculture Through Innovation
For Babban Gona, the investment is not only about capital—it is validation of its pioneering model that combines technology, financial access, and farmer-led enterprises. Through its franchise system, top-performing farmers can establish micro-enterprises, provide inputs and financing to peers, and grow to a scale where they can access funding from local banks.
This approach, backed by catalytic capital from BII, has the potential to transform rural economies, reduce poverty, and accelerate Nigeria’s progress toward food security.
As Benson Adenuga, BII’s West Africa Regional Director, put it: “By backing Babban Gona’s pioneering franchise model, we are helping to build a more resilient and productive agricultural sector in a region often overlooked by investors.”
