Portrait Entrepreneur: Bakary Coulibaly, from ENVAL LABORATOIRE in Ivory Coast

After a career in public education, Bakary Coulibaly decides to launch, with a couple of associates, a consultancy firm (started in 2000) and a microbiological laboratory (2012). Since its creation, the laboratory has gained a significant notoriety in the West African sub region.

A born entrepreneur

Graduated from INET (a polytechnic school based in Yamoussoukro), Bakary Coulibaly holds a master’s degree in Biochemistry from Cocody University. He started his professional career in public education, first as a professor in Biochemistry and then as the director of a professional training center.

But M. Coulibaly’s vocation is to be an entrepreneur, as he explained in an interview for the magazine Tycoon in 2013: “I’ve always dreamed of becoming my own boss, and to be able to launch a personal project. I realized that these objectives did not fit the framework of an administrative career.” He seized the opportunity by following on the very first professional diploma in environment and water quality.

An accredited laboratory emerging as a reference in the sub-region 

In 2002, Bakary Coulibaly founds, with two associates, a consulting and training firm specialized in environmental and agro-business issues. The laboratory is launched in 2012. In the space of just a few years, ENVAL LABORATOIRE has been accredited ISO 17025b and conducts many analyses in Ivory Coast  and the sub-region, both for local entities and multinational companies such as TOTAL, CIPREL and PISA-IMPEX.

3 Questions to Bakary Coulibaly

1/ You founded the consulting firm ENVAL in 2000 and ENVAL LABORATOIRE. Could you explain the story of these two stuctures, and why you decided to launch them?

It all started while I was studying for the DESS. I started, with friends and colleagues, consulting activities. We soon realized that there was no laboratory in Ivory Coast to answer the needs of our clients. That's how ENVAL began to offer microbiological and physicochemical services. The activities of the laboratory have expanded rapidly, and have become more and more complex. We therefore decided to distinguish the two activities, and ENVAL LABORATOIRE became a separate entity.

2/ I&P has recently announced the investment in ENVAL LABORATOIRE, which is particularly important to expand the activities of the laboratory to the mining sector. Why is this activity so crucial for ENVAL?

Ivory Coast has long witnessed the progress of the neighbouring states in the mining sector before it could also benefit from the interest of investors in the region. The new legislation in the sector and the political stability of the country have contributed to the rapid development of the mining sector in the country over the last 5 years. As soon as 2012, ENVAL knew this was a huge opportunity, but lacked the capital to face the competition on the market. We therefore looked for a financial partner.

I&P was very interested by our approach. The project now consists in launching a laboratory dedicated to the mining activity, based in Yamoussoukro. 

3/ You participated, for the second consecutive year, to the annual training seminar organized by I&P. What are your feedbacks on this event (who took place mid-october)?

The seminar was organized on the campus of the CEDEP, which I found particularly appropriate for our training sessions. I also appreciated the animation of the sessions. Regarding the content itself (CSR policy in SMEs), it reinforced my conviction that in a company, it's crucial to look beyond results and figures: human capital is absolutely crucial if you want to sustain your activity on the long-run.