Babban Gona, a Nigerian agritech firm leveraging artificial intelligence, has obtained $7.5 million in debt financing from British International Investment (BII) to expand financial support and technological services to smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria.
The capital will enable Babban Gona to scale its offerings, which include affordable loans, technical training, harvest assistance, and market access, all fortified by cutting-edge AI technology. This approach not only helps farmers mitigate challenges related to climate variability but also enhances productivity and income potential.
The company empowers its best farmers to run small-scale enterprises, by operating through a unique franchise system. These micro-businesses provide their peers with farming inputs and working capital, creating a sustainable ecosystem. Babban Gona aim to facilitate their access to credit facilities from local financial institutions, fostering grassroots economic development. The organization, with BII’s backing, aims to uplift the livelihoods of approximately 140,000 small-scale producers across northern Nigeria by 2029.
Benson Adenuga, head of BII’s West Africa operations and Nigeria office, said;
Our engagement with Babban Gona exemplifies how catalytic funding can bolster innovative, impactful business models that transform communities and economies. Supporting this pioneering franchise system addresses key financing gaps, strengthens agricultural resilience, and ensures smallholders receive the investment they deserve in a traditionally underserved region
The partnership emphasizes climate adaptation, beyond improving food security and farmer earnings. Babban Gona supplies drought-resistant seeds, climate-smart farming inputs, and insurance policies that protect yields against multiple risks, enabling farmers to withstand adverse environmental impacts.
Babban Gona’s AI capabilities are particularly noteworthy. Drawn from over two million images, its machine learning models assist farmers in diagnosing crop issues using simple photographs. According to Kola Masha, the managing director, the company’s AI journey began in 2018 and now extends to supporting rural women who run after-school programs in English literacy and provide prenatal health screenings.
We have nurtured robust relationships in the AI space through early adoption. Babban Gona was honored to be one of just a dozen global organizations invited to a think tank alongside tech leaders like Nvidia, OpenAI, and Google in Lake Como, focusing on AI’s role in development – Masha
The firm is also innovating green transportation solutions akin to Tesla’s model by promoting electric two-wheelers for farmers and building the necessary charging infrastructure in northern Nigeria.
