A man of vision, a tireless builder, and a major actor in Ivorian economic development, Fousseni Diakité embodies a new generation of committed African leaders, deeply rooted in the values of hard work, ethics, and shared progress.

Coming from the entrepreneurial world, he has established himself with rigour and determination in the strategic sectors of agriculture, agro-industry, and local processing — most notably in the cocoa and coffee supply chains. An accomplished industrialist, he heads two cocoa processing plants and one coffee processing plant, contributing significantly to the local value addition of raw materials.

His first cocoa plant, located in Abidjan, Abobo PK18, has a processing capacity of 15,000 tonnes per year. The second, established in Divo, boasts an industrial capacity of 80,000 tonnes of processed cocoa per year, making it one of the major hubs for local transformation. Also in Divo, he operates a coffee processing plant with an annual capacity of 5,000 tonnes.

Convinced that Africa's sustainable development rests on local industrialisation, value creation, and youth employment, Fousseni Diakité has spent several years building high-performing, inclusive, and job-creating enterprises. His entrepreneurial vision is rooted in a logic of economic sovereignty and African competitiveness on international markets.

In a dynamic of strategic diversification, he has recently expanded into the transport sector, acquiring several new coaches operating the Divo–Abidjan–Divo route, thereby contributing to population mobility and economic connectivity.

His footprint extends beyond Ivorian borders. He is also present in Guinea, in Zérékoré, through a company specialised in cocoa. Furthermore, he is active in the fields of import-export of goods, mining, and bauxite, affirming his status as a pan-African economic operator.

His career is marked by numerous national and international distinctions, reflecting the real impact of his actions on the economy, the agricultural industry, and community development. These many recognitions consecrate a leadership built on performance, innovation, good governance, and civic commitment.

A respected leader, a man of action and conviction, Fousseni Diakité continues to build — with faith and determination — an Africa that

Mr. Alahassane DIAKITÉ, an Ivorian entrepreneur and leading figure in the field of cocoa processing, was born in the 1990s in Côte d’Ivoire, specifically in the city of Divo. Coming from a family of cocoa farmers, he had the opportunity at a very young age to familiarise himself with cocoa cultivation, which would later become a true passion.

Recognising the importance of education, he pursued a rigorous academic path, beginning at EPP Dioulabougou 2 primary school in Divo between 1998 and 2004. In 2004, he enrolled at the Lycée Moderne Adama Sanogo in Dokui, where he obtained his BEPC (Junior Secondary Certificate) and his Baccalauréat. As a committed cocoa enthusiast, he chose to dedicate himself further to the sector after graduating. Alongside this, he earned a BT (Technical Certificate) in Business Management in 2012, followed by a Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Management from HEC Abidjan in 2022.

To gain hands-on experience, he started from the ground up: first as a pisteur (a field collector sourcing cocoa from farmers), then as a truck convoy operator at the port in the 2010s, and in 2013 as a sales representative at ICOWA. In 2014, he became a cooperative administrator, enabling him to join the Inter-Regional Union of Coffee-Cocoa Cooperatives of Côte d’Ivoire (U.INTER.CC-CI).

In 2014, driven by his entrepreneurial spirit, he co-founded ECAMOI, a company specialised in the export of coffee and cocoa. He gradually rose through the ranks and took the helm of U.INTER.CC-CI. Today, Mr. Alahassane DIAKITÉ serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of U.INTER.CC-CI, Managing Partner of DIAKITE COCOA PRODUCTS SARL, and General Administrator of CACAO S.A., a large-scale cocoa processing company.

As both an administrator and a visionary, he launched DIAKITE COCOA PRODUCTS in 2016, producing an average of 15,000 tonnes of cocoa butter, cocoa mass, and cocoa cake per year, with a European subsidiary: DIAKITE COCOA PRODUCTS LUXEMBOURG. To further realise his vision, he also launched DIAKING CHOCOLAT, aimed at both local and international markets.

His commitment to made-in-Côte d’Ivoire products, youth entrepreneurship, and the long-term sustainability of Ivorian cocoa has led him, together with his twin brother and business partner, to champion the National Forum of Young Cocoa Farmers. This forum now brings together more than 3,450 young people and key figures to raise awareness of the challenges across the cocoa value chain.