trade missions
Travel to Africa & Discover Valuable Business Opportunities
Agriculture Trade Mission Sierra Leone November 4-7, 2019
Registration is now closed – see details below and learn about the past mission
Learn About Our Past Trade Mission
Exploring Business Opportunities in Sierra Leone’s Agricultural Sector
Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone is a country of fertile land and abundant water sources and rainfall, but due to a lack of appropriate seeds, fertilizers, and farming techniques, over 85% of arable land is not being cultivated.
This mission is a unique chance for private sector companies to hear about government prioritized commercial opportunities, meet with the Sierra Leone Government and other relevant local stakeholders, and receive assistance from Empower Africa with timely follow-ups to ensure their success and lay the foundation for long-lasting business relationships in Sierra Leone.
The mission falls in line with Sierra Leone President Bio’s new vision to strengthen food security as a prerequisite to the development of the country’s human capital.
The 3-day itinerary consisted of a day of meetings and presentations from private and government entities and officials, a field day with a visit to food processing sites, crop plantations, and storage facilities, and a day of pre-scheduled 1:1 meeting with government officials and local business representatives.
The trade mission opened with a Welcome Dinner. Each company who participated in the Trade Mission introduced themselves and their main commercial activities.
The first full day in Sierra Leone began with a tour to the Sierra Leone Museum. In this tour, participants learned about the historical and symbolical significance of the country and its capital as well as the circumstances that led to the current shortage of agricultural expertise, equipment and material in the country.
Following the glimpse at Sierra Leone’s past, we visited the Statehouse to meet the country’s government officials and hear about Sierra Leone’s present and future from the people who are shaping the country’s current direction.
The participants:
- Learned about the strategic prioritization of the Agriculture Sector and the official incentives for foreign investment in the country.
- Participated in a Q&A session with Honorable Joseph Ndanema, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, to understand how their business offerings can fit into Sierra Leone’s agricultural strategy.
- Had a luncheon meet and greet with senior officials of the Sierra Leone Investment & Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Symposium: Doing Business in Sierra Leone’s Agriculture Sector
Speakers presented strategic projects that can advance Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector. The audience included government officials and local partners.
The symposium drove deeper into practical and logistic matters relevant for doing business in Sierra Leone’s Agriculture Sector. Participants got a chance to discuss their concerns and expectations with representatives of governmental agencies and successful multinational companies that are already building facilities, hiring employees and operating businesses in Sierra Leone.
Speakers included:
- Honorable Joseph Ndanema, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
- Mr. Sheku Lexmond Koroma, CEO of SLIEPA
- Ezi Rapaport, Founder and CEO of Empower Africa
- Representatives of international companies currently working in Sierra Leone such as Dole, WARC, and Socfin
- Joe Abbas Bangura, CEO of A Call to Business Bank (ACTB)
The Symposium was followed by a cocktail and a dinner reception during which Trade Mission participants got a chance to network with leaders in the Sierra Leone Government, private sector and NGOs.
Full Day
The third day of the Trade Mission was an outdoor and onsite exploration, during which participants enhanced their understanding of Sierra Leone’s agricultural potential and the current challenges and opportunities.
Participants visited:
- A food processing and packaging operation ( Sierra Agra )
- A sustainable forestry and timber production operation ( Miro Forestry )
- A bioenergy company ( Sunbird Bioenergy )
On the final day of our Trade Mission, participants engaged in a roundtable discussion in which Sierra Leone government officials and Empower Africa representatives answered participant’s specific questions and concerns regarding bringing their agricultural business and expertise to the country.
The afternoon was dedicated to 1:1 meetings between Trade Mission participants and governmental or business representatives. The meetings were arranged by Empower Africa on behalf of the participants and their requests. These meetings gave each participant a chance to discuss specific matters related to their particular business and to begin taking the steps necessary to expand their offerings to Sierra Leone.
The Empower Africa team coordinated additional meetings with business and government representatives for the participants who stayed an extra day.
Who Joined
Our delegation was comprised of companies that offer solutions and technical know-how in the following sectors: Seeds, fertilizers, plant protection solutions, organic and bio solutions, water solutions, smart farm management software, and farming equipment.
Local participants include; the Ministry of Agriculture, the Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA), the Commercial Agricultural Producers and Processors Association (CAPPA), special advisors to the President, and successful businesses in the country like WARC, and Dole.
at the statehouse on the final day of the trade mission)
Some of the International Delegates who participated:
Agrimapic
Delphy
Growing Smart
Irritec
Watch a video
from our previous Trade Mission
Visit our Resource Center and Media Gallery to see more videos from our other previous events.
See highlights from previous Trade Missions
The 2019 Artisanal delegation gathers for a photo after meeting with important government officials
The Agriculture delegation visits Sunbird’s sugarcane plantation in Bombali District, Sierra Leone
1:1 meetings between Trade Mission participants and government or business representatives
Panel discussion during a packed conference at the Radisson hotel with ambassadors and key ministers in attendance
