Why we chose Kola as a Fellow

After completing his MBA, Kola Masha became a managing director of one of Nigeria's leading fertilizer companies, where he led the development of a nationwide distributor network. Driven by the conviction that profitable smallholder farming holds the key to Nigeria's long-term growth, Kola co-founded Babban Gona to complete the supply chain of good inputs leading to higher incomes for farmers.

Smallholder farmers make up the majority of the population in poor countries. Stuck in traditional subsistence farming, they need high-quality seeds and fertilizer, effective training, and access to buyers who will give them a decent price. Babban Gona loans farmers money for high-quality inputs and trains them in high-intensity farming.