Freetown, Sierra Leone—The Sierra Leone Chamber for Agribusiness Development (SLeCAD), in collaboration with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), on Monday, 14th April 2025, awarded grants of US$5,000 (approximately NLe120,000) each to six selected women and youth-led agribusinesses. The symbolic cheque presentation took place in Freetown.
This initiative, part of a broader ACBF project, aims to empower women and youth entrepreneurs in the agribusiness sector, acknowledging their vital role in the agricultural economy and their potential to contribute significantly to Sierra Leone’s development. The project aligns with the national ‘Feed Salone’ program, which focuses on food security and sustainable agribusiness growth.
SLeCAD, a private sector organization fostering partnerships in the agribusiness space, partnered with ACBF, the African Union’s specialized agency for capacity development. ACBF supports initiatives in climate change adaptation, energy utilization, agribusiness development, food sovereignty, trade, and economic governance across Africa.
Ahmed Nanoh, Executive Secretary of SLeCAD, emphasized that the goal of the project is to strengthen the capacity of agribusinesses, enhancing their role in driving food security, economic growth, and better livelihoods across the country. He noted Sierra Leone’s low agricultural yield, attributing it to limited farming activity, and encouraged citizens to embrace agriculture as a viable livelihood.
Diana Lake of Innovation Sierra Leone, a key participant in the beneficiary selection process, explained that the recipients were chosen based on their market potential, community impact, and growth prospects. She expressed confidence in the ability of the selected businesses to thrive, expand beyond Sierra Leone, and make a lasting impact.
One of the beneficiaries, Victor Ikoh, stated that the grant would be used effectively to achieve the business’s objective of expansion beyond Sierra Leone. Ikoh specializes in processing cassava into products such as starch, icing sugar, glucose, flour for baking, garri, and animal feed.
The six recipient small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are:
- Mother Mary Farming Agriculture
- Economy Drivers Initiative Enterprise
- Madunduka Agro Farms
- Njanda Agriculture and Trading Company
- Cassavity Sierra Leone
- Vickline Enterprise
These businesses operate in diverse sectors, including organic onion farming, cassava production and processing, vegetable cultivation, and the production of cassava flour and animal feed. The grant support is expected to boost their operations, scale production, and enhance their contributions to national food security and economic empowerment.