Our smallholder farmer members, Babbangida Hamisu, 32 years old and Markus Ibrahim, 29 years old, from Ikara Local Government, Kaduna State, Nigeria, share their thoughts with us during a visit to their respective farms in the ongoing 2022 planting season. Hamisu and Ibrahim spoke about the impact of Babban Gona’s modern farming and climate-friendly training […]
Education can be described as a process of development through the careful dissemination of knowledge. By educating an individual, the goal is to pass on some desirable information, skills, attitudes, interests, and frames of mind best for personal development. Etymologically, the term ‘education’, stems from the Latin word Educare, which means to train or bring
Education: An Imperative Tool for National Development. Read More »
According to multiple research data, one in fifty Nigerians are snail farmers in Nigeria. Although, a larger percentage of snail farming in Nigeria is done through the traditional practice of handpicking snails from bushes or the forest during the rainy season. This leads to scarcity during the dry season, during this period the weather isn’t
Snail Farming in Nigeria: How to Get Started Read More »
In this video Jonah Dinka Gutau, our Area Supervisor for Ikara and Giwa local governments, Kaduna State, Nigeria talks to us about Babban Gona’s operations before the start of a new farming season. Jonah also speaks about Babban Gona’s Agric OS, a farming software created and developed by Babban Gona’s Product and Engineering teams. He
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the adoption of the 17 Sustainable Developments Goals has set in motion the race for the achievement of a fairer, more peaceful world in which no one is left behind and tackling food insecurity is key to that. The second of these goals: ‘Zero Hunger’ advocates that agricultural
Tackling Food Insecurity through Technological Innovation Read More »
Naomi Luka, 45, a beneficiary of the Babban Gona Poultry Program from Auguwan Uku in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Naomi started raring birds through the Babban Gona Poultry Program from February to June 2022, recording just one mortality during that period. Luka says the income she has earned from the Poultry program has helped her take
Video: Babban Gona Poultry Program Impact Story – Naomi Luka Read More »
Over the years Regenerative Agriculture has become a hot topic within the agricultural space, it has been encouraged by climate change experts, who believe that this agricultural practice helps to mitigate or reverse the effects of climate change by reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Globally, Regenerative Agriculture was estimated to be worth
All You Need to Know About Regenerative Agriculture Read More »
Farming may feel overwhelming at the beginning, most especially if you start without properly planning, which is why it is usually best to start small and grow as you learn to become a better farmer. If you are just starting a farm or you are experienced, these five quick and useful tips for successful farming will
5 Quick and Useful Tips for Successful Farming Read More »
Last year Babban Gona successfully launched its Poultry Program by providing support to female entrepreneurs to rear day-old chicks across different cycles. Bilkis Aminu and Victoria Edalere, 62, a retired nurse and a widow who are beneficiaries of the poultry program share their thoughts on the program. They also speak about how they’ve become more
Video: Empowering Women Using Poultry Farming – Babban Gona Read More »
Nigerians love poultry meat, it is the third most consumed meat in Nigeria, after beef and goat meat, reports indicate that Nigerians consume over 1.5 million tons of poultry meat annually, and the demand for poultry eggs and meat continues to rise steadily. However, local production of poultry in Nigeria only meets about 30% of
Poultry Farming in Nigeria: How to Get Started Read More »
Board Director
Board Director
Board Member
Chairman of the Board
Executive Director
Before joining Babban Gona, Lola was the Director for Trust and Safety at OLX Group, working across 30+ OLX markets to ensure that buyers and sellers can transact safely and securely on the platform. Prior to her global role at OLX, Lola was the Country Manager for OLX in Nigeria where she was responsible for driving all elements of the business including Business Development, Product Localization, Marketing and other relevant functions. OLX Group is one of the world’s leading online classifieds players. Through its brands including OLX, Avito, dubizzle and letgo, OLX Group is the home of online classifieds in high-growth markets.
These platforms are the leading destination for buying and selling used goods and services in 30 countries, and the #1 mobile app in its category in more than 20 markets. Globally ~ 11 million items are exchanged through its platforms every single month.
Prior to joining OLX, Lola spent 4 years at Google leading various Product Partnerships efforts across EMEA and Emerging Markets. Lola was one of the earliest Googlers in Sub-Saharan Africa when the technology company began its operations in the region.
Lola shaped the regional strategy, executed on several core initiatives and led business development efforts with key SSA partners including the telcos, OEMs, digital content providers and local entrepreneurs. Lola brings significant leadership experience in business development, entrepreneurship, operational transformation and product development across several industries including technology and financial services.
In addition to Africa, Lola has substantial international working experience in North America, Europe, and Asia. She also worked in the Chicago office of McKinsey & Company, where she spent time advising senior executives on extensive strategic management topics. Lola holds a Doctorate degree in Engineering from the UniversiAnnual Report 2019/2020 ty of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the University of Virginia. She is happily married with two kids.
Managing Director
Furthermore, he led the development and execution of Notore’s commercial strategy across West and Central Africa, preparing the company to sell one million tons of fertilizer and establish a modern seed business.
He led the effort to raise $130 million in equity and the restructuring of $360 Million in debt. Kola brings significant leadership experience in venture capital, corporate finance, business development, marketing and operations, across four continents with multiple global companies, including GE, Notore and Abiomed. In addition, Kola brings extensive public sector experience as Senior Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture.
In recognition for his leadership in driving positive change on the African Continent, he has received several global awards including the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, a leading leadership institute led by General Collin Powell and appointed to the Board of the African Enterprise Challenge Fund, a $250 Million fund that awards grants and repayable grants to private sector companies to support innovative business ideas in agriculture, agribusiness, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change and access to information and financial services. Kola holds an MBA (Honors) from Harvard and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Prior to Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a major subsidiary in the Notore Group, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural conglomerates, where he raised US$24 Million to develop an integrated agricultural trading, production and processing business.
Furthermore, he led the development and execution of Notore’s commercial strategy across West and Central Africa, preparing the company to sell one million tons of fertilizer and establish a modern seed business.
He led the effort to raise $130 million in equity and the restructuring of $360 Million in debt. Kola brings significant leadership experience in venture capital, corporate finance, business development, marketing and operations, across four continents with multiple global companies, including GE, Notore and Abiomed. In addition, Kola brings extensive public sector experience as Senior Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture.
In recognition for his leadership in driving positive change on the African Continent, he has received several global awards including the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, a leading leadership institute led by General Collin Powell and appointed to the Board of the African Enterprise Challenge Fund, a $250 Million fund that awards grants and repayable grants to private sector companies to support innovative business ideas in agriculture, agribusiness, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change and access to information and financial services. Kola holds an MBA (Honors) from Harvard and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
