British International Investment, Babban Gona, sign $7.5m deal to boost food security, others

British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, has announced a $7.5 million debt investment in Nigerian agri-tech company Babban Gona. The funding is aimed at improving food security and strengthening climate resilience among smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria.

At the signing ceremony in Lagos, BII’s West Africa Director, Benson Adenuga, explained that the investment reflects BII’s commitment to supporting innovative business models that tackle financing gaps, empower farmers, and build a stronger agricultural sector. Babban Gona uses an AI-powered platform to provide farmers with agricultural inputs, credit, training in climate-smart practices, as well as harvest, storage, and market access support.

UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Florence Eshalomi MP, highlighted that the initiative will scale up a tech-driven model that increases yields, improves incomes, and builds resilience against climate change.

Babban Gona’s Managing Director, Kola Masha, noted that the UK has supported the company since 2013, when it became their first institutional investor. He described the latest investment—ten times larger than the initial one—as a strong vote of confidence and a step forward in Babban Gona’s ambition to become one of the world’s most impactful businesses for smallholder farmers.