Augustine Molwa Sheriff CEO of immam moiwa oil palm plantation

From Graduate to Agripreneur: Augustine’s Palm Oil Comeback

Palm oil is more than a crop in Sierra Leone it’s food, income, and a pathway to dignity for thousands of farmers, traders, and consumers. Across villages and towns, families rely on this vibrant value chain to sustain their livelihoods.

---

Meet Augustine Moiwa Sheriff

After graduating in general agriculture from Njala University, Augustine returned to Bomboima (Nongowa Chiefdom, Kenema District) to continue his family’s legacy in palm oil. He inherited his grandfather’s small plantation in 2012 and relied on traditional processing. Production was slow, quality inconsistent, and prices discouraging. With limited finance, no machinery, and just five team members— including women and a person with a disability—he could manage only five rubbers of palm oil per day.

---

The Turning Point

Everything changed when Augustine joined the ILO’s Opportunity Salone project. Through training—including GET Ahead and Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB)— he learned modern processing methods and core business skills. He received US$9,000 in financial support, five processing machines, and one nut- cracking machine. The mix of training, tools, and coaching gave him the confidence and capacity to scale.

---

Scale, Quality, and Jobs

Today, Augustine produces up to 180 rubbers of high-quality palm oil per day, meeting demand locally, across Sierra Leone, and into Liberia. His enterprise Imam Moiwa Oil Palm Plantation now employs 16 staff, including women, youth, and persons with disabilities. He has expanded operations to Kpava, Koina, Yumbuma, Konabu, and Saahuh, reinvesting profits into his farm and community.

---

Powering a Local Ecosystem

Augustine has built strong B2B partnerships. He supplies palm kernel to a fellow Opportunity Salone entrepreneur at Agro-Palm Investment, who converts it into cooking oil, soap, petroleum jelly, and animal feed. He also sources equipment from Salbin Cutting Edge Enterprise (palm oil processing and palm cutter machines). This collaboration shows how Sierra Leone’s SMEs can thrive together along the palm oil value chain.

---

“Now I can use machines to produce better quality palm oil, more efficiently, ” Augustine says proudly. “With ILO’s support, I sell in new markets including Freetown and Liberia, and I’ve met business partners who are opening even more opportunities."

---

Why It Matters

Augustine’s journey shows what targeted support can do: create jobs, raise quality and incomes, and strengthen an entire value chain. With the right training, finance, and tools, Sierra Leone’s young agripreneurs can turn challenges into sustainable growth.

By the Numbers

• Production: 5 → 180 rubbers/day

• Jobs: 5 → 16 (including women, youth, and persons with disabilities)

• Support received: US$9,000 + 6 machines (5 processing, 1 cracking)

• Markets: Local districts → Freetown & Liberia

• Linkages: Supplies Agro-Palm Investment; procures from Salbin Cutting Edge Enterprise