AlaSan Ceesay Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, AlaSan AgriVentures

AlaSan Ceesay is a British-Gambian entrepreneur, investor and Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of AlaSan AgriVentures, an agribusiness and industrial investment group operating across the United Kingdom and Africa.

A former British Army soldier and graduate of the University of Cambridge, where he completed a Master of Studies in Entrepreneurship, Business and Management, AlaSan has built businesses across food production, food commodity trading, agro-processing, manufacturing and regional trade.

His work focuses on developing commercially viable industrial platforms that strengthen food security, create skilled employment and attract long-term investment across Africa. In recognition of his contribution to entrepreneurship and economic development, he was honoured with the Global Impact Award.

Through Rahma Gambia Ltd, a subsidiary of AlaSan AgriVentures Ltd UK, he is advancing one of The Gambia’s most ambitious agri-food industrialisation projects. The company began as an essential food commodities import-export business under the Rahma brand, which has become a recognised household name across The Gambia and the wider sub-region.

Rahma Gambia is now developing a 500,000 square metre multipurpose food production complex in The Gambia’s Western Region. The facility is designed to integrate multiple food processing plants, including industrial-scale bread and bakery production, mango juice, tomato paste, dairy products, flour and other value-added food products. The project aims to reduce dependence on imports, process local agricultural raw materials, support Gambian farmers and build export-ready food manufacturing capacity.

At UKAIS 2026, AlaSan will contribute to the agribusiness, manufacturing and industrialisation agenda under the talking point: Beyond Farmgate: Building Africa’s Next Generation of Industrial Champions.

His contribution will focus on how African agribusiness can move beyond raw production into processing, branded food manufacturing, import substitution, regional trade and export-led growth. He will bring practical insight into how private capital, industrial facilities, local supply chains and market access can turn agricultural output into scalable industrial businesses.

His participation aligns strongly with the Summit theme, Trade Corridors and Industrial Platforms: From Access to Production, and with UKAIS 2026’s focus on value addition, food security, manufacturing, job creation and production-led investment across Africa.