UK’s BII Commits $7.5m Debt Investment into Baban Gona to Scale Agricultural Impact, Boost Food Security

•As agreement targets 140,000 farmers in Northern Nigeria by 2029

Oluchi Chibuzor

British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, has committed a $7.5 million debt investment with Nigerian agri-tech platform, Babban Gona, to boost food security and climate resilience for smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria.

In addition to improving food security and economic outcomes, a core component of the investment is building climate resilience of smallholders.
This is as the BII’s support would help scale Babban Gona’s innovative model, enabling farmer-led enterprises to access local bank funding to improve yields, economic models, incomes, and climate resilience for around 140,000 farmers in Northern Nigeria by 2029.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Lagos, yesterday, the UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Florence Eshalomi, said, Babban Gona’s journey is a powerful example of what’s possible when people invest in Nigeria’s agricultural future.

According to her, “Today, I’m proud to stand alongside British International Investment (BII) as we announce a $7.5 million investment into Babban Gona, a pioneering social enterprise transforming smallholder agriculture in Nigeria.

“This investment will help scale an innovative, tech-enabled model that empowers farmers with access to finance, training, and services, boosting yields and incomes while building climate resilience.
“From early-stage UK support through Propcom Maikarfi to this milestone investment, 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, and I’m excited to see the impact it will generate.”

For the West Africa Regional Director and Head of Office for Nigeria, BII, Benson Adenuga, said their partnership with Babban Gona is a great example of how BII is using catalytic capital to support innovative, high-impact business models that transform lives and economies.
“By backing this pioneering franchise model, we are not only addressing a critical financing gap but also helping to build a more resilient and productive agricultural sector and support smallholder farmers in a region that is often overlooked by investors. This investment will deliver tangible impact at scale, strengthening food security and climate resilience,” he said.

Commending BII, Babban Gona’s Managing Director, Kola Masha, said that, “the British government played an instrumental role in our story, becoming the first institutional investor in our 2013 public debt raise. Now, a little more than a decade later, to have British International Investment commit an amount 10x larger is a powerful testament to our shared vision for bettering the lives of smallholder farmers.

“We are thrilled to have them partner with us in this next phase of our journey as we accelerate the impact of our work, with the ambition to become the Earth’s highest-impact business.”

He noted that Northern Nigeria produces 50 to 60 percent of the country’s maize but smallholder farmers face persistent challenges that limit their productivity and income.

He also noted that many cultivate small plots of land, with limited access to finance, quality inputs, agronomic training, and reliable markets.
For him, these constraints are compounded by growing exposure to climate risks such as floods and droughts, which further threaten yields and income stability, noting these challenges contribute to post harvest losses of up to 30 per cent, worsening food insecurity across the region.

“Babban Gona’s offering is designed to overcome these structural barriers by providing comprehensive end-to-end services for smallholders via its AI-powered platform – including high-quality agricultural inputs, financial credit, training on climate-smart practices, and support with harvest, storage, and access to market.
“Babban Gona’s franchise model enables top-performing farmers to establish and run their own micro-enterprises which provide farmers with inputs and working capital financing. Babban Gona supports these enterprises to grow to a scale where they can access funding from local banks.
“Through this model, Babban Gona expects to improve yields, incomes, and climate resilience for around 140,000 smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria by 2029 – supported by BII’s investment to achieve sizeable impact,” he said.