Her Excellency Dr Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone and President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), officially opened a Sierra Leonean-owned Afro-food processing facility in South East London today. She hailed the venture as a testament to women’s entrepreneurship, investment from the diaspora, and the agricultural potential of Sierra Leone.
Arriving in the UK from Rome, Dr Bio went directly to Khadie Afro Foods, established and led by Sierra Leonean entrepreneur Khadie Dumbuya Alabi, also known as Khadie Fresh, and her husband, Femi Alabi. The opening took place at 36 Raymouth Road, SE16 2DB.
Founded in 2013, Khadie Afro Foods is a significant player in the UK’s African food market. The company imports, processes, packages, and sells African vegetables and food products, sourcing produce from Sierra Leone, Togo, Cameroon, and Nigeria. It specialises in popular West African ingredients, including cassava leaf, ugu, krain-krain, potato leaf, waterleaf, afang, and ewedu.
Khadie Afro Foods operates from “farm to supermarket,” preparing products at the source and arranging transportation to the UK, where they are then washed, ground, processed, and packaged for distribution. Mrs Alabi registered the business in Sierra Leone in 2018, maintaining its presence in Goderich and Lungi to strengthen ties between Sierra Leonean farmers and the UK market.
During the event, Mrs Alabi welcomed Dr Bio, expressing gratitude for her support and praising her efforts in championing women’s and girls’ rights. Dr Bio commended Mrs Alabi for her remarkable business and urged her to expand further to create more opportunities.
Dr Bio stated that this enterprise exemplifies President Julius Maada Bio’s Feed Salone initiative, which seeks to enhance agricultural production and establish markets for Sierra Leonean goods. She noted how their work in the UK and Sierra Leone demonstrates how diaspora investment can boost local food systems and livelihoods.
The opening also showcased Sierra Leone’s religious tolerance, with Reverend Winston Webber of the United Methodist Church and Imam Sheikh Baimba Ibrahim Conteh of the North Brixton Islamic Cultural Centre jointly dedicating the facility.
Dr Bio’s visit to Khadie Afro Foods precedes her attendance at the inauguration of the Sierra Leone People’s Party UK & Ireland Regional Executive this evening. For Mrs Alabi, it marks another significant moment in her ten-year business journey and illustrates how diaspora entrepreneurship can foster development by linking opportunities abroad with progress at home.
