Catalytic capital brings CropSafe’s new industrial facility online and increases earnings for rural women
SANTA CLARA, Calif., 15 January 2026 — In partnership with fund manager Beneficial Returns, Miller Center Capital has funded CropSafe Agro Services, a social enterprise building local processing capacity across the shea, palm kernel, and soy agricultural value chains in Nigeria.
Miller Center Capital is the impact investing arm of Miller Center for Global Impact at Santa Clara University. CropSafe is a member of the Center’s initiative with Bayer Foundation to advance health and nutrition, women’s economic power, and climate resilience across Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
Founded in 2018, CropSafe industrializes early-stage agri-processing (including boiling, shelling, and drying) through solar-powered facilities that reduce post-harvest losses, save labor, and improve product quality. The enterprise sources directly from over 3,000 women collectors, offering fair prices and cash-on-delivery during the harvest season. CropSafe then sells oils, meals, and staples to domestic and international buyers, ensuring more value stays within Nigerian communities.
Often referred to as “women’s gold,” shea is an important source of seasonal income for women in Nigeria who collect nuts from wild-growing trees. The country produces more than 500,000 metric tons of shea nuts annually, yet captures a disproportionately small share of the $3.5 billion global market. Most nuts are exported raw because traditional processing methods are slow, labor-intensive, and prone to losses, requiring up to 30 hours of work and 10 kilograms of firewood to produce just one kilogram of butter.
By centralizing processing and providing reliable market access, CropSafe helps rural women save time, earn more, and reduce losses. Its model directly tackles inefficiencies that lead to spoilage and income volatility across Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
“For too long, women have done the hardest work in our agriculture and received the least from it,” said Osagie Azeta, Founder and CEO of CropSafe. “When we locate modern processing closer to communities, incomes rise and dignity is restored. We are thankful for Miller Center’s support, which helps us turn this hard work into lasting value here in Nigeria.”
Miller Center Capital’s catalytic financing will support CropSafe to bring a significantly larger value-added processing facility online in Bauchi State, a region with high shea nut yields and limited industrial infrastructure. The expansion allows CropSafe to move further down the agricultural value chain into refined shea butter, soy oil, and crude palm kernel oil, meeting the growing domestic and international demand for locally processed products.
In 2025, CropSafe advanced through both Miller Center’s Accelerator and In-Residence programs. Along the way, Azeta worked closely with Miller Center mentors Christoph Siebert, Vivek Suman, and Tricia Mills. Siebert, who mentored Azeta in both cohorts, now serves on CropSafe’s board of directors.
“Osagie is a founder of strong character: disciplined, thoughtful, and mission-driven,” said Christoph Siebert, Co-Founder and CEO of GoldMind GmbH. “He has built CropSafe with integrity and focus. This investment supports a business with solid fundamentals and real potential for scale.”
About Miller Center Capital
Miller Center Capital is the impact investing arm of Miller Center for Global Impact at Santa Clara University. Through catalytic loans, the fund supports enterprises that reduce poverty by advancing women’s economic power and building climate resilience. Founded in 1997, Miller Center has supported over 1,500 social enterprises in more than 100 countries.
About Beneficial Returns
Beneficial Returns is an impact investment manager that finances social enterprises working to alleviate poverty and protect the natural environment. Founded in 2016, Beneficial Returns uses capital to catalyze systemic change in emerging markets. Headquartered in San Francisco, the firm brings together a diverse global team with experience across finance, social enterprise, and development.
About Cropsafe
CropSafe Agro Services is a Nigerian social enterprise that reduces post-harvest losses and improves rural livelihoods by processing shea, palm kernel, and soy into oils, meals, and staples. Founded in 2018, CropSafe operates solar-powered facilities and sources directly from rural communities across Northern and Central Nigeria.
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Media Contact:
Karen Carter
Director of Marketing Communications
Miller Center for Global Impact
kcarter1@scu.edu
Investment Contact:
Paul Belknap
Director of Impact Investing
Miller Center for Global Impact
pbelknap@scu.edu
