With a sense of opportunity and aware of the lack of jobs in his country, this fisherman’s son, seeing year after year the disappearance of their livelihood of yesteryear, decided to launch into entrepreneurship with a freshwater fish breeding project.

After graduating from the Lycée Alpha Mayoro WELLE in Dagana, Papa Ibrahima BADIANE started out in the geography department at UCAD. However, witnessing the deterioration of the university environment and the very quality of his studies, he applied in a competitive examination for vocational training. As a result, in 2009, he won his place at the Centre de Formation Professionnelle Commerciale (CFPC Delafosse). His training culminated in a BTS in International Commerce with honors in 2011.

At the same time, he joined AIESEC LC UCAD in 2010, an international platform enabling young people to explore and develop their leadership potential, in order to have a positive impact on society. Thanks to AIESEC, Ibrahima completed Synapse’s EMPACTO training, which led to free incubation of his project at TAGG-AT (Synapse’s incubator). As a result, he embraced entrepreneurship and has since been busy fine-tuning his project and seeking financing to launch production.

Having gained professional experience through internships at TRANS FRET YOFF and LONASE’s Commercial Department, Ibrahima says he no longer wants to be content with being a job seeker, but rather a job provider.

E.C.A is a response to the increasing scarcity of fish resources in Walo and Senegal in general. Entreprise Commerciale Aquacole (E.C.A.) aims to set up an aquaculture business in the village of Ngoméne, 38 km from Saint Louis on the N2 road to Dagana. The project will be articulated on three levels: firstly, the establishment of a farm site; secondly, the opening of a fish processing plant; and thirdly, the exploration of sub-regional and even international markets.

Implementation of the project will provide the Senegalese and inhabitants of the sub-region with sufficient quantities of quality fish, available all year round at affordable prices. The project, which will be set up in Mbodiène, his native village, will also have a positive impact on the regeneration of endangered species, thanks to the ponds developed for this purpose, and will enable Senegal to achieve food self-sufficiency and increase the availability of fish resources. The project will also create jobs in rural areas, and help combat poverty and rural exodus.

E.C.A was awarded best business creation project, among a hundred or so others, at Masteriales 2012.