Agro-food

Citrine Corporation is a company specialized in the processing of cassava into fresh attiéké (cassava semolina) and placali (cassava paste) in the south of Côte d'Ivoire, more precisely in Grand-Bassam. The company markets its products on the local and international market. Since the release of the products on the market, they are highly appreciated by the local community and the diaspora, for their quality and their branding which highlights the pride of the African identity.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Mohamed Diaby holds an MBA in International Business Management which he will complete in 2014 at the École Supérieure de Management de France and an M.sc. in Banking, Finance and Risk Management which he will complete in 2012 at Glasgow Caledonian University in the UK. He has six years of experience in food trading.

CONTRIBUTION OF COMOE CAPITAL

The I&P Acceleration in Sahel funding will enable the company to optimise and increase its production capacity. The company will also benefit from the support of several consultants who will support the local commercial strategy, the optimisation of production processes and accounting and financial processes, the training of employees on quality and hygiene measures and on environmental issues, particularly with regard to the management of waste from the activity.

In terms of impact, the company plans to create 23 new jobs by 2022.

YAM AGRO is a company that operates in the food industry. Created in 2019, it specializes in the production of syrups (bissap, ginger) and mango jam.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

YAM AGRO INDUSTRIE was founded by Steve YAMEOGO. Passionate about the agricultural sector and having grown up in the food processing industry, he holds an engineering degree in electromechanical engineering from the Private Polytechnic Institute of Casablanca (Morocco).

CONTRIBUTION OF SINERGI BURKINA

YAM AGRO is accompanied by SINERGI BURKINA within the framework of the I&P Acceleration program in Sahel.

The main objective of this partnership is to :

• Improve product quality and increase syrup production capacity
• Consolidate its gains in the market (strengthen its positioning and build loyalty among existing customers) and win a larger customer base at the national level
• Restructuring the company and strengthening its management system
• Diversify the company's products through the production of bissap wine

EXPECTED IMPACTS

• Consolidation and formalization of 7 existing jobs and creation of 10 new formal jobs for young people and women
• Contribution to the national economy through the payment of taxes to the tax authorities 
• Contribution to the development of agricultural sectors through the valorization of local products

About Sinergi Burkina

Created in 2014, Sinergi Burkina is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in Burkina Faso. Headed by Job Zongo, Sinergi Burkina is the second investment fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Développement 2 fund. The fund network currently includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap).  → To learn more about Sinergi Burkina​​

Created in 2010 initially under the name of ICO and became ICONA in 2020, the Internationale des Céréales et Oléagineux, Nutrition Animale (ICONA) is a Burkinabe company specialized in the manufacture of animal feed.

ICONA is one of the few Burkinabe manufacturers able to provide feed adapted to animals, whatever their species and age. The company is thus particularly competitive, offering an attractive quality/price ratio.

The entrepreneur

Martial SAWADOGO is a French-Burkinabe entrepreneur, doctor in animal nutrition. He has more than 25 years of experience in the feed industry and has been an entrepreneur since 1999.

Partnership with I&P

Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) has committed itself alongside ICONA in order to

• Increase the company's production capacity and enable it to increase its volumes on the local market.
• Support it in strengthening its production equipment, facilities and commercial means (vehicles).
• To formalize, in particular through the setting up of contracts for its employees, their registration with the social security and the setting up of mutual health insurance for the whole staff.

Expected impacts

The partnership between I&P and ICONA should contribute to

• Improving the working conditions and wages of employees.
• Improve the availability of quality feed on the Burkina Faso market. Breeders often have to turn to low quality products. The increase in ICONA's production capacity will make it possible to respond to the supply deficit by offering quality products at an attractive price and will, therefore, have a significant impact on the local value chain.

 Learn more about ICONA

Afrik Bovia is a cattle farm created in 2011 by Mauhamed Lamine SY specialized in the production of cow's milk, located in Bobo-Dioulasso, the economic capital of Burkina Faso.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Holder of a high school diploma from the Islamic University of Medina, he has several experiences in food and dairy production. He worked as a representative in Riyadh of the French company SIBERT PATENT specialized in the production and installation of horticultural greenhouses but also as a fruit and vegetable import manager at SHADEL COMPANY in partnership with Flex Faso. In 2006, he launched into entrepreneurship by creating GULF AFRICAN GROUP, a company specialized in the export of mango and beef. 

CONTRIBUTIONS BY SINERGI BURKINA

Afrik Bovia is supported by SINERGI BURKINA as part of the I&P Acceleration program in the Sahel, with funding of 57,000 € (36,575,000 FCFA).

The main objective of this partnership is to :

• To have adequate material and human resources for the establishment of a production unit of yogurt and pasteurized milk (semi-handcrafted dairy).
• Set up the yogurt and pasteurized milk production unit to enable the company to enhance its production and create more added value
• Penetrate and conquer the market for cow's milk dairy products (100%) in the project area and more generally in Burkina Faso
• Set up an internal accounting system kept by a professional

EXPECTED IMPACTS

• Formalization of 10 existing jobs and the creation of 9 new formal and decent jobs for women and young people
• Contribution to the national economy through the payment of taxes to the tax authorities
• Better structuring and organization of the company
• Establishment of good governance

ABOUT SINERGI BURKINA

Created in 2014, Sinergi Burkina is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in Burkina Faso. Headed by Job Zongo, Sinergi Burkina is the second investment fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Développement 2 fund. The fund network currently includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap).  → To learn more about Sinergi Burkina

BIOPROTECT is a production and marketing unit for organic inputs (biopesticides and organic amendments) based on local natural resources (mushrooms, plants, agricultural and livestock residues).  To date, it markets eight products on the Burkinabe market:

•  2 biostimulants/fungicides (to stimulate the natural defences of plants)
• 4 organic insecticides
• 1 food storage warehouse treatment product
• Compost.

Beyond producing and marketing organic inputs, BIOPROTECT offers other services that complement the input activity which are :

• The processing and/or marketing of raw products (tomato puree, green beans, sesame) from the exploitation of market gardeners and farmers accompanied by the company.
• The provision of services (technical support, training, assistance, advice) to natural and legal persons active or wishing to engage in ecological/biological production

ENTREPRENEURS

Mr. Arsène SAVADOGO, is a graduate of a double master's degree in strategy of agri-food companies and in economic and financial engineering of projects and public policies. Mr. SAVADOGO has been managing BIOPROTECT since its creation in 2011. He is currently coordinating a multi-stakeholder consortium (composed of INERA, IRD, ARFA, BIOPHYTECH and BIOPROTECT) led by BIOPROTECT-B which is working on a research and development programme on quality improvement of organic soil improvers funded by the EU. 

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM SINERGI BURKINA

Bioprotect is supported by Sinergi Burkina through private equity.

MAIN IMPACTS

• Consolidation of existing jobs and job creation
• Development of sustainable agriculture
• Valorization of local products

ABOUT SINERGI BURKINA

Created in 2014, Sinergi Burkina is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in Burkina Faso. Headed by Job Zongo, Sinergi Burkina is the second investment fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Développement 2 fund. The fund network currently includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap).  → To learn more about Sinergi Burkina

Created in 2003, MAMA is an industrial unit that is involved in the production and marketing of spring water in plastic bags and glass and fruit nectar. Since 2014, the company has set up a fruit nectar production line under the name "MAMAJUS". MAMA has been supported by Sinergi Burkina since 2019 as part of the Partnering to Accelerate Entrepreneurship (PACE) program in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

THE ENTREPRENEUR

MAMA was created by Amamatou MAIGA who naturally became involved in the management of the family business at a young age. She began her apprenticeship as a customer manager alongside her father in the TRANSMIF company, a family business that was involved in inter urban transport.

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM SINERGI BURKINA

The USAID program funds the following activities:

• Strengthen the commercial action of the company, which will allow it to penetrate the fruit juice market through communication and the acquisition of a delivery vehicle.
• Rehabilitate the water production line MAMA CUP
• Strengthen the capacities of the company's accounting department by training agents and setting up management tools.

About Sinergi Burkina

Created in 2016, Sinergi Burkina is the first impact investment fund dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in Burkina Faso. Headed by Job Zongo, Sinergi Burkina is the second investment fund sponsored by Investisseurs & Partenaires as part of the I&P Développement 2 fund. The fund network currently includes a fund in Niger (Sinergi Niger), Côte d'Ivoire (Comoé Capital), Senegal (Teranga Capital) and Madagascar (Miarakap). → Sinergi Burkina website

ABOUT USAID PROGRAM

Investisseurs & Partenaires and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched in 2016 an innovative acceleration program for start-ups in Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal. The partnership is designed to support high-potential start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises in order to facilitate their access to financing in a region where the ecosystem supporting entrepreneurship is still poorly developed. Click here to learn more

Idée Féminine is an industrial company specialized in the packaging of raw materials. The company counts today in its customer portfolio almost all the large distribution stores of the capital Niamey.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

The founder, Souradja ABDOU ASSOUMA to enter into entrepreneurship by starting processing and marketing informally. She has been a member of the network of the women's entrepreneurship unit of the Niger Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Handicrafts (CCIAN) since 2014, which has enabled her to follow several training modules.

ABOUT

SINERGI S.A. is a private investment company created in 2006 and supported by I&P with a group of key individual and institutional shareholders in the Nigerien and international SME support landscape. Headed by Ibrahima Djibo, its objective is to contribute to the economic and social development of Niger through the promotion of entrepreneurship and the development of SMEs. SINERGI S.A. provides the means for entrepreneurs in Niger to achieve their growth projects by providing long-term financing and local support.  → Find out more about Sinergi

ABOUT USAID PROGRAM

Investisseurs & Partenaires and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched in 2016 an innovative acceleration program for start-ups in Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal. The partnership is designed to support high-potential start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises in order to facilitate their access to financing in a region where the ecosystem supporting entrepreneurship is still poorly developed. → Click here to find out more

Tech Innov is a nigerien company whose main activity is the promotion and marketing of technological solutions for agriculture and irrigation. Since its creation, it has developed a number of innovative solutions, which are part of the promotion of agricultural development.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Abdou Maman KANE is the founder and managing director of Tech Innov. A computer scientist by training, he has developed the concept of digital farms and tele-irrigation system tools in order to help the development of the agricultural sector in Niger. As a social entrepreneur, Abdou Maman KANE aims to revolutionize rudimentary agricultural practices in Niger, particularly in the areas of irrigation and watering. His goal is to provide farmers with tools to enable them to end manual watering and especially reduce water waste.

To promote its digital farm concept and its innovations, it has participated in many exhibitions and competitions where it has won prizes (1st prize at the Social Entrepreneur Competition in Africa organized by France Telecom, a medal at the Geneva International Inventions Fair in 2012 etc.).

ABOUT

SINERGI S.A. is a private investment company created in 2006 and supported by I&P with a group of key individual and institutional shareholders in the Nigerien and international SME support landscape. Headed by Ibrahima Djibo, its objective is to contribute to the economic and social development of Niger through the promotion of entrepreneurship and the development of SMEs. SINERGI S.A. provides the means for entrepreneurs in Niger to achieve their growth projects by providing long-term financing and local support.  → Find out more about Sinergi

ABOUT USAID PROGRAM

Investisseurs & Partenaires and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched in 2016 an innovative acceleration program for start-ups in Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal. The partnership is designed to support high-potential start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises in order to facilitate their access to financing in a region where the ecosystem supporting entrepreneurship is still poorly developed. → Click here to find out more

Created in 2013, Innovatech is a company dedicated to researching technological innovation, production processes and the adoption of new technologies in agriculture.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Prior to entering the entrepreneurial world, Mr. YAHAYA has mainly dedicated his career to research and dissemination of agricultural technology, with more than 32 years of professional career in sub-regional agricultural research organizations. From 1986 to 1991, he was in charge of experiments at the INRAN station in Lossa (Tillabéry), at the Phytopathology Laboratory, at the Laboratory of Phytopathology, and at the Laboratory of Greenhouse and Field Research on millet, peanut and sorghum diseases. Mr. YAHAYA also held the position of Head of Greenhouses, Seed Laboratory and Phylogenetic Bank Management at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) from 1991 to 2017.

ABOUT

SINERGI S.A. is a private investment company created in 2006 and supported by I&P with a group of key individual and institutional shareholders in the Nigerien and international SME support landscape. Headed by Ibrahima Djibo, its objective is to contribute to the economic and social development of Niger through the promotion of entrepreneurship and the development of SMEs. SINERGI S.A. provides the means for entrepreneurs in Niger to achieve their growth projects by providing long-term financing and local support.  → Find out more about Sinergi

ABOUT USAID PROGRAM

Investisseurs & Partenaires and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched in 2016 an innovative acceleration program for start-ups in Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal. The partnership is designed to support high-potential start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises in order to facilitate their access to financing in a region where the ecosystem supporting entrepreneurship is still poorly developed. → Click here to find out more

MADE'S GROUP is an industrial unit specializing in the production and marketing of potato chips, infant flour enriched with moringa and peanut, and juices, all based on the sweet potato.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

SOULEYMANE MADE is a young food and quality engineer. After several professional experiences in the field of agro-industry in Niger, Ivory Coast, and Equatorial Guinea, he created with partners the company DJADO INNOVATION to manufacture juices based on sweet potato before renaming it MADE'SGROUP in April 2017 with the financial support of ASUSU SA.

ABOUT SINERGI

SINERGI S.A. is a private investment company created in 2006 and supported by I&P with a group of key individual and institutional shareholders in the Nigerien and international SME support landscape. Headed by Ibrahima Djibo, its objective is to contribute to the economic and social development of Niger through the promotion of entrepreneurship and the development of SMEs. SINERGI S.A. provides the means for entrepreneurs in Niger to achieve their growth projects by providing long-term financing and local support.  → Find out more about Sinergi

ABOUT USAID PROGRAM

Investisseurs & Partenaires and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched in 2016 an innovative acceleration program for start-ups in Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal. The partnership is designed to support high-potential start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises in order to facilitate their access to financing in a region where the ecosystem supporting entrepreneurship is still poorly developed. → Click here to find out more