I&P Accélération au Sahel

Habitat et Développement en Mauritanie (Habidem) is an eco-construction company specialized in the valorization of local geosourced (clay) and biosourced (Typha) materials. The company's aim is to address the issue of access to housing in sub-Saharan Africa, using materials that make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change and, at the same time, create green jobs as a source of local development.

The entrepreneur

Created in 2013, Habidem is headed by Oumar WELE, who has some twenty years' experience in eco-construction in France and Mauritania. He holds two bachelor's degrees in Civil Engineering from the Institut Universitaire de Technologie du Havre in 2008 and in Building Energy Efficiency from the Institut Universitaire de Technologie Cherbourg/Caen, as well as a BTS in Sustainable Development Project Management from the CPSA Combourg in Brittany and a Building Quantity Surveyor Technician diploma from the Institut Supérieur de Technologie Appliquées in Taza/Morocco.

Partnership with I&P

Habidem is funded by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel, funded by the European Union. The goal of this partnership is to :  

• contribute to setting up a production unit and purchasing equipment 
• industrialize the production process for compressed earth bricks and insulation panels

Al Baraka is a small company specialized in the production and sale of pastry and food delicacies in Mauritania.

The entrepreneur

Al Baraka was created in 2015 by Ibrahim Amadou Diop is a young Mauritanian entrepreneur with a degree in mathematics and computer science and an application developer and self-taught.

Partnership with I&P

Al Baraka is funded by I&P through I&P Acceleration in Sahel, funded by the European Union. The goal of this partnership is to :  

• support the development of the company's activities
• contribute to the modernization of the production tool, the reinforcement of the distribution chain, and the business capital, contribute to the acquisition and deployment of mobile carts to improve the marketing of Al baraka products, strengthen the production tool, and support the management of the company

Oui Lait & Dêguê is an Ivorian company that operates in the agri-food sector, more specifically in the production of yogurt (or curdled milk) and dêguê (a mixture of yogurt and millet semolina or couscous). Its products are marketed through two distribution channels: direct sales (distribution of products directly to customers via sales outlets) and online sales (home delivery).

The entrepreneur

Oui Lait & Dêguê was founded by Mrs Saran Fadiga.  Autodidact, she grew up in an entrepreneurial and sales environment. With a A-Levels in literature, she undertook various activities (selling yogurt, jewelry, shoes, etc.) for five years before starting Oui Lait & Dêguê in 2017.

Partnership with I&P and Comoé Capital

The company is supported by I&P and Comoé Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. The aim of the funding is to :

• increase and optimize the company's production capacity
• contribute to the opening of new stands
• contribute to the digitization of business monitoring

Oui Lait & Dêguê will also benefit from a number of technical aids to improve production, accounting and financial processes.

Huilerie Royale TED is specialized in the production and sale of pure, virgin coconut-based table oil in Benin. Coconut oil is cold-extracted from coconuts. The finished product is used in the manufacture of food products, as well as a wide range of everyday products such as soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, detergents, paints and pharmaceutical products. 

The entrepreneur

The company was founded in 2017 by Towenan Armel Théodore AHIMAKIN, a Beninese entrepreneur with a degree in agronomy who grew up in a region traditionally producing coconut oil.

Partnership with I&P

Huilerie Royale TED is supported by I&P through the I&P Accélération au Sahel program:

• Obtaining organic certification, an essential element to develop the European market.
• Build up a stock of raw materials to support production growth
• financing various production-related expenses to ensure increased production capacity

I-Futur is a Niger-based start-up specialized in the development of web and mobile applications. In addition, it has developed its own solutions/applications, notably the IPAY solution (payment aggregator), which has various applications, such as online payment of the A-levels or payment of school fees.

The entrepreneur

I-Futur was created in 2017 by Mr Sidikou BOUBACAR, an IT and telecom engineer with several experiences in major groups such as Orange Niger.

Partnership with I&P and Sinergi

I-Futur is supported by I&P and Sinergi through I&P Acceleration in  Sahel, whose objectives are :

• deploy Terra Finance, a rural payment and financial inclusion solution
• disseminate its solutions to players (microfinance, groups)
• implement a targeted sales strategy
• strengthen the accounting and management departments

Fatou & Kadija Entreprise is a Guinean company operating since 2014 in processing and drying fruit juices, mainly pineapple-based, marketed Jedengui.

The entrepreneur

Fatou & Kadija Entreprise was created by Fatoumata CISSOKO, a Guinean entrepreneur committed to the development and promotion of fruit (especially the pineapple sector). She holds a degree in accounting and management from the Consular University (UNIC) and a higher technical diploma in accounting and management from the Kofi Annan University of Guinea (UKAG), and has several years' experience in fruit processing.  

Partnership with I&P and MBM Capital

Fatou & Kadija Entreprise is supported by I&P and MBM Capital through I&P Acceleration in Sahel. This partnership will enable the company to :

• Increase its production capacity by installing a new 1000 L/day fruit juice production line
• Bring the production building up to the required hygiene and food safety standards 
• Diversify product ranges
• Secure supplies of raw materials and packaging

Expected impacts

• Promotion of local products and local agriculture
• Promotion of healthy eating (natural products with no artificial additives)
• Creation of 8 additional permanent jobs and dozens of temporary and indirect jobs along the value chain
• Expected sales growth of 374% in 2024 (compared with 2023) and 50% in 2025 (compared with 2024)