Meeet Francis John Sesay, the Sierra Leonean Entrepreneur Transforming Cassava Farming with Organic Flour Product

In a small community named Bunban village in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone, Francis John Sesay, an agricultural engineering graduate from Njala University, witnessed the struggles his mom faced in selling her harvests as cassava farmers. Determined to find a solution, Sesay co-founded Sierra Leone Cassavity Limited, a company embarking to convert cassava into various useful products like flour for breads, fast foo foo, pan cakes, donuts, and more.

The 25-year-old engineer who was born in Bumbuna, Tonkolili District, was inspired due to the rapid increase in prices of imported flour in the market. He realized that by converting cassava into flour, his family could make more profit and contribute to the local economy. 

“While spending time with my mom, I observed her expressing dissatisfaction with the underpayment for the products of cassava farmers. This prompted me to brainstorm ways to step in and address this issue,” said Sesay.

Cassavity’s flour is very unique and it’s 100 percent organic, cultivated locally without the use of fertilizers, and produced without any harmful chemicals. Sesay proudly claims that the Cassivity flour is consumable by diabetic patients and can aid in weight reduction. 

The benefits of Cassivity flour go beyond its organic nature. The production process involves several local steps, including harvesting, cleaning, grating, dewatering, sieving, drying, and milling. Although similar projects have been attempted in Sierra Leone before, many have failed due to poor marketing and sustainability. 

This business is being initiated by Sesay, along with his four colleagues from Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Their journey began when he presented his ideas to his colleagues during a Fish Bowl Challenge competition which they won, earning USD 25,000. 

They commenced operations over one month ago, they are working with 12 farmers and so far he seemed satisfied by the level of reception they received from the public. 

“We received an excellent reception, with calls coming in from individuals in the diaspora and local NGOs commending our efforts. We produced 500 kg of flour, and on our launch date, we sold over 100 packets each weighing 800 grams,” he added.

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However, one of the biggest challenges Cassivity SL limited faced was determining the right price for their product. They wanted to avoid a market battle and make their flour affordable for both consumers and existing flower market competitors. They decided to price their product at NLE 100 per bag, while the current market price for flour is around NLE 300.

Looking ahead, Cassivity aims to embrace technology within the next five years to enhance their production process. Their ultimate goal is to expand their production to other African countries and beyond, making a sustainable impact on the continent.