When Moussa Samake returned to Mali after years of studying aquaculture in China and Japan, he found no opportunities. The Sahel, characterized by its arid landscapes, long dry seasons, and cycles of uncertainty, seemed an unlikely place for fish farming. Jobs were scarce. Young men spent their days at the Grin , traditional social gathering places that had become, for many, a symbol of idle waiting in a region lacking prospects. For an aquaculture specialist, the gap between ambition and reality could not have been wider.
« Where unemployment and discouragement once reigned, » Moussa recalls, « there is now hope, employment, and local economic dynamism. »
This transformation is not the result of chance. It stems from a judicious investment made with the right person at the right time, thus marking the beginning of a discreet blue revolution that is gradually spreading throughout the Sahel.
A historic turning point, while Africa remains on the sidelines
The aquaculture sector has reached a major milestone, surpassing capture fisheries for the first time as the primary source of aquatic food, accounting for 57% of global production. Since 2000, aquaculture has experienced growth of 455%.
Africa, however, missed this opportunity and contributes only 1.9% to global aquaculture production—a remarkable gap considering that sub-Saharan Africa is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing populations. Without a significant increase in local production, per capita fish consumption is likely to decline. This situation presents particularly important challenges, as aquatic products provide 18% of the animal protein consumed in Africa, a higher percentage than the global average, making fish not a luxury but an essential source of nutrition.
The real obstacle is not potential. It is the structural bottlenecks that are blocking investment: high production costs, inadequate infrastructure, policy gaps, and a shortage of skilled human capital. Moussa Samake represents exactly the kind of talent that exists in the region – and which, without proper support, remains untapped.
Crucial funding for the development of aquaculture
Thanks to the Degraded Land Restoration Project in Mali (PRTD-Mali), supported by the World Bank’s Sahel RESILAND program , Moussa’s project has grown from a proposal submitted via social media to a thriving operation. His farm in Ferekoroba now houses more than 12,000 fingerlings and provides high-quality protein to a community that previously had to travel seven kilometers to find fresh fish.
The farm is more than just a production site. It transforms degraded land into productive economic assets, creates specialized technical jobs for young men, and builds a processing workshop that will soon employ twenty women.
According to FAO data, women represent 62% of the workforce involved in aquaculture processing in the Sahel. This female presence is actively valued by the project, which focuses on providing them with modern preservation tools and promoting their access to formal employment.
For Moussa, receiving support throughout this journey represented, in his own words, « a call to happiness. » It was not simply a professional opportunity, but a chance to regain his dignity and purpose in a region that had offered him neither.
Extending the model: from Mali to the Sahel
The project is not an isolated success; it now serves as a benchmark. The World Bank is currently conducting a comprehensive assessment of the sector, called the Aquaculture Sector Support Program (ASSP), to identify infrastructure gaps and political obstacles that have hindered aquaculture development in the region.
The objective is to develop a clear investment trajectory and guide: a technical roadmap for replicating the PRTD-Mali model, starting with the specific contexts of Mali and Niger, where the model is already yielding results.
This momentum is spreading. PASA’s work has expanded to Chad and is generating considerable interest in Burkina Faso, where structured investments in aquaculture are increasingly seen as a tool for economic stabilization. More broadly, within the framework of the World Bank’s AgriConnect initiative, governments across West Africa are seeking targeted investments to make aquaculture a strategic pillar of job creation and resilience, combining the Bank’s technical expertise, capacity building through IFC’s Agribusiness Leadership Program, and investment financing.
As Moussa himself says: « The PRTD-Mali embodies a model of success and good governance that we wish to see multiplied throughout the territory. »
Job creation is at the heart of this ambition. Agribusiness is one of the five sectors that, according to the World Bank, offer the greatest potential for local job creation, and aquaculture is emerging as a powerful driver in this sector.
By investing in value chains that link small producers like Moussa to processors, traders and consumers, the World Bank helps countries build economies that transform growth into local jobs, opening up opportunities where people already live.
A better future for dryland farming
The Sahel faces real and simultaneous pressures: climate shocks, food insecurity, demographic stress, and fragility. But Moussa Samaké’s story reminds us that solutions can be found in unexpected places, and that it is possible to transform vulnerability into resilience when investment is strategic and human capital is taken seriously.
source : banque mondiale
