Proparco, a subsidiary of the French Development Agency (AFD), has signed a $23 million senior loan agreement with Sonoco Limited to finance the construction and working capital requirements of Sierra Leone’s first and only large-scale wheat flour mill in Freetown.
This project is a major step toward strengthening the country’s food supply security. The financing will enable Sonoco’s affiliate, Sonoco SL, to build a soft wheat processing mill with a capacity of 600 tons per day and a silo storage complex capable of holding 40,000 tons of wheat.
Once fully operational, the facilities will produce approximately 140,000 tons of wheat flour annually, a staple food product in West Africa. The project will transition Sonoco’s affiliate from being a food importer to the country’s largest local miller, serving the domestic market, Liberia, and potentially other neighboring countries.
By bolstering local food production in Sierra Leone—where an estimated 77% of the population faces food insecurity—the operation directly aligns with the “Production” priority of the Food and Agriculture Resilience (FARM) initiative. The FARM initiative was launched in 2022 by French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside the European Union, the G7, and the African Union.
The project also fits into Proparco’s “Explore” strategy, which aims to support high-impact projects in fragile states. Sadio Dicko, Proparco’s Regional Director for West Africa, emphasized the importance of the investment:
“This world-class wheat flour production unit will enable the country to have fresh and highly qualitative flour available every day… West African countries must increase their control of food value chains to ensure food security and prosperity. This is exactly what we are doing with this project.”
This initiative will have multiple developmental impacts, contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by: Strengthening food security (SDG #2: Zero Hunger). Creating jobs (SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth). Ensuring the national supply of basic foodstuffs (SDG #10: Reduced Inequalities).
The investment also strengthens the capacity of a high-profile Sierra Leonean agribusiness player to generate local added value, illustrating France’s new international partnership policy launched in 2025.
ABJ/APA