A screenwriter, director, and writer, he became an entrepreneur to support rural farmers. By leveraging technology, he helps them sell their products to a wider audience.

Abdulai Barrie, a Sierra Leonean entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Salone Agro Market, a technology platform focused on agriculture. The platform’s primary goal is to empower farmers while improving their market access across Sierra Leone. 

Founded in 2019 and registered under the startup SALGRO Ltd., Salone Agro Market connects buyers and sellers of agricultural products. It provides small and large farmers alike with a marketplace to sell their produce, while also facilitating access for commercial businesses and large enterprises seeking to purchase these products.

In addition to connecting buyers and sellers, Salone Agro Market supports small farmers by providing access to inputs, processing equipment, transportation solutions, and information systems. The platform is accessible offline via USSD codes, ensuring maximum inclusivity. It also offers real-time information on market prices, weather forecasts, and facilitates direct transactions between sellers and buyers.

Alongside his work at Salone Agro Market, Abdulai Barrie is the editor of the Commonwealth Youth Council newsletter, an organization focused on youth development within the Commonwealth. He also serves as a project manager at Sierrapreneurs, an initiative promoting youth entrepreneurship in Sierra Leone. Since 2018, he has been the co-founder and creative director of Creative Media Network SL, a multimedia production company.

Abdulai Barrie holds a certificate in entrepreneurship, financial management, and reporting for innovators, awarded in 2021 by the Institute of Public Administration and Management at the University of Sierra Leone. A former screenwriter and director, he also worked as a writer for Hidden Voices Africa, a platform publishing human interest stories, from 2023 to 2024.

In recognition of his commitment to innovation and social development, Abdulai Barrie secured third place in the 2024 Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (POESAM) in Sierra Leone. He will represent his country in the continental phase of the competition.

Melchior Koba