Hot Source
Source: billionaires.africa
Adama Sène Cissé, a Senegalese businesswoman and co-founder of Gade Gui, has obtained CFA2.5 billion ($4.6 million) in financing from Proparco to help boost local egg production.
The funds will go into a new laying-hen facility expected to turn out more than 80 million eggs a year once it’s running at full capacity. It’s also the first time Proparco is directly funding an SME in West Africa under its “SMEs Scale Up” initiative.
Gade Gui has been known mainly for its broiler operations. Still, this expansion moves it firmly into table-egg production, a sector that’s growing fast as more families and small businesses rely on eggs for affordable protein.
The timing couldn’t be better. Urbanization and population growth are pushing up demand for everyday food staples. The disruptions in global supply chains over the past few years have reminded governments how vulnerable imports can be. Senegal, like many of its neighbors, is looking inward, backing producers that can secure food locally.
“Eggs are one of the simplest and most affordable proteins for households,” the company said. “This investment strengthens our mission to feed local communities while developing domestic capacity.” Apart from creating jobs, the project will bring modern production systems and technical expertise to the country’s poultry sector. NTD France will handle the supply of equipment and technical support.
Gade Gui’s new phase fits into a regional trend where private businesses are increasingly filling the gap in food production once left to governments. Proparco’s SME Scale Up facility was designed for precisely this kind of company, one that has proven itself locally and is ready to grow responsibly on a bigger scale.
Once the new plant is running, Gade Gui aims to deliver steady, traceable egg production using energy-efficient systems. The goal is to make eggs more available and affordable, even as food prices remain volatile. For Senegal, the expansion dovetails with national plans to rely less on imports and strengthen local agribusiness. For Cissé, it’s a personal milestone, a move from finance boardrooms into a sector that touches daily life.
Cissé is bringing a wealth of experience to the project. Over the past 20 years, she’s worked across the banking and finance world, with stints at Ernst & Young, Citibank Senegal, and Ecobank. At Ecobank, she managed operations and technology in eight countries, later taking managing director roles in Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique.
Now, as co-founder of Gade Gui’s agro-industrial venture, she’s turning that financial and operational background toward agriculture, a field that demands the same discipline but rewards it with visible, real-world results. Her story, from banking executive to agrifood entrepreneur, mirrors a wider shift in African leadership. Increasingly, it’s about people with big company experience choosing to build in sectors that feed and sustain communities.
The post Senegal businesswoman wins $4.6 million to boost Gade Gui egg output appeared first on The Herald ghana.
