Sadik Ibn Abdulai is the co-founder of Tilaa Ltd., a Ghana-based company that produces innovative beehives and trains local farmers about beekeeping and cashew production. 

ABOUT SADIK ABDULAI

Before founding the company, Sadik worked as an agricultural science teacher for six years until moving on to earn his bachelor’s in banking and finance at the University of Professional Studies, Accra. However, during his second year, Sadik’s mother began to struggle financially.

“As a son of a single mother, my mother could not afford to pay my second-year university fees due to low yields from her farm,” explained Sadik. “The region that used to be the country’s food basket now struggled to feed itself.”

The area that Sadik’s mother lived in had begun to see a decline in agricultural productivity due to climate change and the overgrazing of animals. Witnessing first hand his community's newfound struggle to feed itself, Sadik was inspired to find a way to help–sparking his idea for Tilaa. 

Using his background in agricultural science, Sadik learned that though Ghana’s ecosystem no longer supported the farming his mother and community were practicing (cereals such as maize, millet and soya beans), it was the perfect atmosphere for honey production–but the country’s beekeeping industry remained largely untapped. 

ABOUT TILAA LIMITED

Tilaa integrates beekeeping and cashew plantations for the production and processing of organic honey, bee products, cashew nuts, and animal feed made from upcycled cashew leaves. However, even though he had a solid business idea, Sadik struggled to define his problem statement and revenue model–leading him to apply for the Because Accelerator in 2019.

TILLA IN THE BECAUSE ACCELERATOR

The accelerator program helped him identify his customer base, develop a business plan and perfect his pitch deck. Over the years since completing the program, Sadik’s business has been able to purchase 200 acres of farmland, produce 250 concrete beehives and train local women how to manage the hives independently. In fact, through his business, Sadik has so far been able to create 700 jobs for women growers in the community—in addition to his staff of 15 full-time and 50 seasonable employees.

In 2022, Sadik applied for Because International’s recoverable grant and was one of two recipients selected to receive $10,000 to put towards their businesses. The grant will allow Sadik to purchase wax and honey directly from the farmers running his beehives. From the materials, Tilaa will produce bee products to sell—increasing the company’s overall revenue and creating 100 more jobs for women in rural Ghana.

Sadik hopes that through continued growth, he will soon be the leading producer and supplier of honey and other bee products across sub-saharan Africa to international markets. 

The Because Accelerator is a completely free online training and mentorship program for entrepreneurs who have product-focused ideas and businesses in areas impacted by poverty. Learn more about the Because Accelerator incubator program.