May 06, 2022

Young entrepreneur transforming potato processing and marketing in Niger

Fresh Produce

Niger

Youth entrepreneurship is booming in Niger. Even if the ground is littered with obstacles, several opportunities are available to young people who are involved in the partnerships developed and supported by 2SCALE. For young people like Alfaou Halid, it is not always easy to grow entrepreneurial ventures.

At only 28 years old, Alfaou is the young promoter of FRISA, the Sahel French fry shop. A graduate with a Masters in Audit and Management Control, the young auditor and financial accountant by training, does not dawdle in the search for employment. He created his own job and followed his passion.

Entrepreneurship has been close to my heart since I was young. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, traders. It is a natural asset that exists in me. The little story behind FRISA is that this is a project that was close to my heart. I worked for three years on this project before finalizing my studies.

FRISA transforms the potato into fresh French fries. The potato is peeled, cut and packaged to be sold on the local market, in neighborhood stores, supermarkets and online.

In 2021, when he started his activities, Alfaou contacted the potato production and distribution company, CCPHN, our business champion in the potato sector in Niger.

I was still a senior student in Senegal when I contacted the CCPHN because there was a post on Facebook about the availability of potatoes with them. When I returned to the country, I started to buy from them and until now we work together.

Faithful to his choice, the young promoter is demanding in terms of quality. He continues to buy from the CCPHN, because according to him the availability of potatoes throughout the year, in addition to the quality and the reasonable price, are advantages for the sustainability of his business.

Revolutionizing sales techniques through social networks

From half a bag of potatoes to one bag monthly, FRISA's production capacity has only increased. Nowadays, the small company can process up to 3500 kg per month. To quickly reach his target clientele which is in the middle class of society, the young Alfaou has bet on social networks by creating his Facebook page and updating his WhatsApp status daily.

"For sales, we rely on social media. There is already a FRISA Facebook page that is animated every day. I also receive orders on my WhatsApp status. There is also an e-commerce site in Niger that sometimes places orders with us. Other customers place their orders on this platform. We are in partnership with several stores such as Ryad Food. In addition, we also do home delivery. It is free from 5 kg. Below 5 kg we deliver at 500F CFA everywhere in Niamey.”

The great ambitions of a young Nigerian entrepreneur

The activities of FRISA are evolving in a beautiful way. The company has recently signed a few contracts with local hotels and restaurants, but the dreams of the young promoter are even bigger.

To serve beyond Niger and reach the heart of West African markets is the ambition that drives the young entrepreneur.

My biggest dream for the next 10 years is to transform the potato into French fries, and not only for Niger, but my goal is to cover the entire WAEMU zone. I think I'm on the right track and Inshallah I'll get there.

Alfaou gets his motivation from identifying market needs. As he travels through the city of Niamey, he observes along the boulevards, alongside the chicken sellers, the young people who peel and cut the potato by hand without much care. Just by looking at these scenes, he sees a potential market that he can conquer, but this will happen by changing mentalities.

"My motivation is to see the need. I feel that there is a need in this market. If you go around the city of Niamey, you will find these retailers peeling by hand in an archaic way. Sometimes there are customers who are just waiting. There are fries that are not even cooked because of the lack of processing facilities. I can offer them better ways to save time and improve the quality of their fries. I know that with time we will end up working together. What's for sure is that I'll have a formula adapted to their needs that we'll work with together."

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