Yokoumi

YOKOUMI is a Togolese company specializing in the processing of shea nuts into organic shea butter and related products, including soaps and balms. Its shea butter is primarily sold in bulk to manufacturers and cosmetic brands for export. The company relies on a certified organic value chain that ensures the traceability of its supply and adherence to responsible practices. 

YOKOUMI also conducts awareness campaigns among women on environmental protection, sustainable management of natural resources, and economic alternatives to deforestation. It also supports the transition of women who previously earned their income from cutting and selling firewood toward the collection and processing of shea nuts. 

In its production process, the company uses oilcake as a source of energy for cooking, employs improved stoves and solar panels, and is continuing its energy transition through the installation of a biodigester and the upcoming implementation of a gasifier.

The Entrepreneur  

Kossiwa Delali ADEDJE is the founder, managing director, and sole shareholder of YOKOUMI SARL U. With a degree in development economics, she has gained an understanding of rural economic dynamics, particularly through her volunteer work with the association Solidarité Enfance et Vie on income-generating and microcredit projects for women. She became involved in the shea industry in 2016 after identifying a lack of profitable market opportunities for women shea producers in central Togo. She then launched an informal business buying and reselling shea butter, and from 2016 to 2019 coordinated the purchasing, processing, packaging, and shipping operations. In 2019, a meeting with a buyer interested in organic shea led to the creation of YOKOUMI SARL U. Since then, she has structured the company around local processing, organic and fair-trade certifications, sourcing from women’s cooperatives, and B2B sales primarily for export.

Partnership with I&P and Comoe Capital 

The total support provided to Yokoumi includes funding of 69,383 euros, earmarked for the following purposes: 

• Purchase of raw materials  
  • Purchase of production equipment:  
  • Mill
  • Dryer 
  • Butter churn 
  • Briquette machine for the roaster 
  • Conversion of the dryer to electricity 
• Fitting out of the production site 
• Construction of a well 

The support also includes two technical assistance services: 

• Accounting technical assistance; 
• Commercial technical assistance.