Kola Masha, Managing Director of the Babban Gona program in
Nigeria, is among this year’s recipients of the prestigious Skoll Awards for
Social Entrepreneurship. Masha, a supporter of hermetic storage and social
enterprise, was recognized for his role in creating a model that attracts
smallholder farmers and the nation’s unemployed youths. This agricultural program
is generating employment opportunities, livelihoods, and is keeping younger
generations from joining extremist groups and gangs in the country.
Babban Gona provides much needed support through financing, training,
tools, technology, and marketing to increase the yields and profits of farmers
by 2.3 times the national average. The member farmers bring their harvests to Babban
Gona collection centers for processing and storage. The crops are stored inside
GrainPro®
Cocoons™
to safely preserve the quality and freshness of the products for extended periods
without the use of harmful chemicals. The crops are then sold by Babban Gona
during the lean season to trusted customers who pay a premium for quality.
This results in higher profits for the farmers. But more
than that, the program is creating opportunities and making agriculture a
viable livelihood for the millions of youths who are without employment
prospects in a country that has one of the worst unemployment rates in the
continent.
The Skoll Awards distinguish transformative leaders whose
organizations disrupt the status quo, drive sustainable large-scale change, and
are poised to create even greater impact on the world. Awardees’ organizations
receive $1.25 million core support investments to scale their work and increase
their impact. The social entrepreneurs also gain leverage through their
long-term participation in a global community of visionary leaders and
innovators dedicated to solving some of the biggest global challenges of our
time.
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