Unleashing the Power of the Informal Economy: Sabi’s Ademola Adesina on Sustainable Solutions for Global Challenges 

In this edition of the Road to Davos – Leadership Voices Series, Africa Collective speaks with Ademola Adesina, Co-founder and President of Sabi, about unlocking the power of Africa’s informal economy to drive sustainable global supply chains. Adesina highlights the critical role of informal merchants, the importance of transparency in sourcing commodities like lithium and cocoa, and the transformative potential of technology in connecting African markets to the world. He offers a compelling case for why focusing on Africa’s unstructured economy can be a key solution to meeting international sustainability goals and addressing global supply chain challenges. 

Africa Collective: Can you briefly introduce yourself and your organisation? 

I’m Ademola Adesina, and I’m the Co-founder and President of Sabi. We founded Sabi to reimagine how Africa’s vast array of goods and commodities are sourced, traded, and distributed worldwide. Our work is grounded in three key convictions. First, there is a growing global demand for critical goods and commodities – products such as cocoa, copper, and lithium – which are not only foundational to many industries but are also essential to advancing alternative energy solutions. Second, if the world is to meet both current and future net-zero climate goals, the supply chains for these commodities must be transparent and sustainable. Finally, neither of these objectives can be realised without the active and empowered participation of Africa’s unstructured workforce – small farmers, artisanal miners, and informal merchants. At Sabi, we’re dedicated to equipping this workforce with the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to fully engage in the global economy.  

Africa Collective: What is your organisation’s primary focus or mission? 

At Sabi, our mission is simple: we connect African markets with each other and the rest of the world. It’s well known that Africa holds immense, untapped potential, not only through its abundant natural resources and agricultural products but also through its unstructured workforce, which constitutes approximately 85% of the continent’s labour force. However, for Africa to truly compete in global markets, these resources must be accessed in a way that is transparent and sustainable. 

Sabi addresses these challenges through an operating system that offers tools for logistics, traceability, finance, quality assurance, and compliance. Our platform effectively bridges the gap between global buyers and local African producers. We focus primarily on sectors that are critical to Africa’s growth and to the world’s future, including agriculture and critical minerals. Our TRACE product, for example, enables companies to source African goods and commodities in a manner that is transparent, ESG-compliant, and reliable. TRACE is the best example of how we bring end-to-end visibility to cross-border transactions, particularly for high-demand commodities like lithium, copper, and cocoa. This technology is meant to ensure that Africa’s essential resources contribute meaningfully to global supply chains and help meet international sustainability standards.  

Beyond TRACE, Sabi offers a suite of solutions that empower informal merchants by providing them with the tools to compete and thrive globally. To date, we have facilitated over $250 million in trade financing and enabled millions in supply across critical sectors. Our focus remains on ensuring these resources are ethically sourced and equitably traded. We are proud that our technology not only supports Africa’s growth but also helps solve global supply chain challenges while advancing the energy transition.  

Africa Collective:  How do you see your organisation as a pan-African champion? 

At Sabi, we truly see ourselves as champions for African informal merchants. These micro- and small-sized enterprises are both the continent’s greatest asset and its most underutilised resource. The informal merchants we work with often lack access to capital, market access, and essential tools needed for sustainable growth. In many ways, they have been discarded from traditional business society despite having so much value to provide.  

That’s where Sabi comes in. Our tools have helped connect a small cocoa farmer with European chocolate producers, and lithium refineries in the United States with reliable African spodumene supply. Our ability to do this changes lives for small merchants while enabling sustainability goals for large companies. While we are still evolving, we’re proud of our early progress. What sets Sabi apart is our persistence in placing customer interests and expectations at the core of our business model. 

Africa Collective: Which topics and themes related to Africa would you like to see more prominently featured on global platforms such as the World Economic Forum? 

Broadly, Africa’s role in the future of sustainable global supply chains should be front and centre in global economic convenings such as the World Economic Forum. There is a $3 trillion market opportunity at stake and the potential to resolve real-world challenges by ensuring Africa has a seat at the table. 

The key to any conversation would be a focus on the informal sector, which I’ve mentioned constitutes more than 80% of the workforce because these merchants are essential to Africa’s economies, but they’re disconnected from broader markets. Platforms like the WEF should spotlight the importance of their integration as a solution to sourcing the world’s essential materials and supporting the cause through access to financing, training, and infrastructure. 

Another priority theme is the need for real-world technology that brings transparency and traceability to the trade process. This is essential for building trust amongst global companies and investors, but also for meeting the world’s sustainability goals. You simply cannot build the alternative energies of the future without safe, ethical access to Africa’s critical minerals.  

Highlighting these themes through the forum is an opportunity for the world’s leaders to engage the conversation and actively brainstorm solutions that let us support Africa’s growth and meet global demands responsibly. This is a rare conversation in which everyone stands to benefit from the results.  

Africa Collective: Can you share an example of a successful partnership you have been part of in Africa? 

I’ll share two. Sabi recently launched a grassroots collaboration in Nigeria’s Oyo State, where we partnered with local organisations to improve supply chains for essential agriculture products. The Oyo State Aggregation Project aimed to establish a reliable supply chain for premium crops in Oyo State by developing small farming communities and providing the technology and infrastructure they require to enhance production. The project has many benefits, including the creation of jobs and investment that will improve food supply outcomes for Nigeria and its trade partners. The Nigerian Ministry of Environment & Water was instrumental in licensing the partnership, and Sabi’s partnership with Nectar Fresh and Meadow Foods, two local agriculture companies, will be ongoing over the next two years with the option for renewal.  

More recently, Sabi signed MOUs with two companies – Snowball Holdings from Italy and Transition Resources from the United States – to establish processing plants in Nigeria. The processing of critical minerals like lithium is still nascent in Nigeria, and our partnerships will add capacity while retaining value in the country and improving the quality of raw materials.  

Africa Collective: What has been your most inspiring experience in your work with Africa? 

It has been inspiring to see the technology ecosystem take root in my parents’ native Nigeria. The abundance of founders with incredible ideas and creative businesses never ceases to amaze me. I am proud for Sabi to be a small part of that story.  

One of the most rewarding experiences in my work on the continent has been witnessing the transformation of small-scale merchants and their businesses. Through our platform, we’ve been able to help scale these operations and bring access to global markets, but we’ve also seen how so many entrepreneurs have risen to the challenges associated with doing global work. Many of these farmers, for example, previously struggled with low yields or fluctuating prices. With Sabi, they’re able to grow sustainably and get financial support.  

At the end of the day, this work is about empowerment and opportunity – two things that are dear to me and that I am committed to continuing as part of my work. 

Africa Collective:  What advice would you give to other leaders/organisations/companies looking to make a positive impact in Africa? 

For any organisation or individual looking to make meaningful impact in Africa, my advice is simple – focus on the unstructured economy as a solution to global challenges like sustainability. Their empowerment is key in achieving so many of the world’s goals, it really can’t be understated.  

It’s also essential to ensure that sustainability and ESG compliance are built into your business models from inception. Through our work, it has never been clearer that our global partners are very serious about meeting their business needs sustainably, which is wonderful for our collective future. However, it simply can’t be done without the participation of informal merchants, and the key to meeting our goals depends on our commitment to them and their individual and collective success.  

It may take more work to do business this way, but it is absolutely worth the economic and social gains and will make a lasting impact on the continent.  

Africa Collective: What key message would you like to share about Africa’s potential and opportunities with the global community? 

Africa has the potential to be a major player in the global economy, particularly in areas critical for our future, such as agriculture and the supply of certain critical minerals. These resources are essential to food production and renewable energy and, if wielded responsibly, can contribute to solving large-scale global problems. To fully unlock this potential, however, there needs to be greater investment in the infrastructure and technology that will ensure Africa’s goods and commodities are sourced responsibly and sustainably. 

To world leaders, I would urge them to assess their businesses, government, and non-profit agendas and strategies to determine how they can be part of the solution. Whether you’re trading in Africa or supporting through investments or advocacy, there is a role you can play in helping propel us to the future.  

About the Road to Davos – Leadership Voices Series 

Leading up to Africa Collective’s Davos annual series of events during the period of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, taking place from 20-24 January 2025, Africa Collective is speaking to a collection of foremost thought and business leaders in both the private and public sectors as part of our ongoing effort to highlight opportunities in Africa. Our objective with the Road to Davos – Leadership Voices Series is to position African topics on the global stage through the lens of leaders from the continent or who lead organisations with interests in the continent.