New projet in Africa

[bajansailor]

To provide greater precision, this initiative represents a total investment volume of approximately EUR 63 million.

So then, how many millions of this 63 million do you have to raise first before any major lending institutions will lend money to you?
And how much money have you raised so far?

 

[bajansailor]

I see that you wrote a long and detailed reply to @BlueBell and then you subsequently deleted it - why?
Remember that all participants in this thread can see what you wrote in reply to Bluebell, as they receive an email from the BDF with your post.
Would you like me to copy and paste it here?

You say that you will need to raise 63 million Euros - yet you are still struggling now to find even the first 1 million Euros.
And how many years has this project been running for now?
I am still waiting for an answer to my question - how many Euros have you raised so far?
Any potential investor will want to know the answer to this.

 

[Issa]

I see that you wrote a long and detailed reply to @BlueBell and then you subsequently deleted it - why?
Remember that all participants in this thread can see what you wrote in reply to Bluebell, as they receive an email from the BDF with your post.
Would you like me to copy and paste it here?

You say that you will need to raise 63 million Euros - yet you are still struggling now to find even the first 1 million Euros.
And how many years has this project been running for now?
I am still waiting for an answer to my question - how many Euros have you raised so far?
Any potential investor will want to know the answer to this.

Thank you, Bajansailor, for your particular interest in my project.

If I deemed it appropriate to remove the message initially addressed to BlueBell, it was because its content was highly tailored to his specific inquiry regarding a potential financial involvement in the project. For this reason, I chose to communicate it to him privately via direct message. That said, I remain entirely open to reposting it as a public reply to his comment should transparency and collective access be preferable.

With respect to your concern regarding the amount of capital already raised in comparison to the overall investment requirement of €63 million, I would like to reiterate that my original intention in participating in this forum was not to seek financial partners. Unfortunately, the evolution of circumstances has compelled me to reconsider this position.

At an earlier stage, I had secured the commitment of a major investor who held the position of second-in-command within the state apparatus of my country of origin, Bénin. Regrettably, due to unforeseen political developments and a conflict with the head of state, this individual is currently detained, rendering his participation impossible.

It is therefore by force of circumstance, rather than by initial design, that I have returned to this forum with the objective of identifying potential financial partners. On a personal level, I have already invested several hundreds of thousands of euros into the project and continue to do so to this day, demonstrating both my commitment and my confidence in its viability.

I trust that this clarifies the issues you have raised.


Yours sincerely,

PS: I remain available to publish the response originally addressed to BlueBell, should you consider it appropriate and beneficial for broader visibility.

 

[bajansailor]

I thought it was a good reply to Bluebell, hence I was surprised to see that you had deleted it.
Several hundred thousand euros is a considerable investment for an individual, but it is still a proverbial drop in the bucket compared to the 63 million which you need to raise.
However 300,000 euros should be enough to build at least one boat and then you can at least prove the concept that it will work?
I think that if you make an initial step like this, where you have a demonstration ferry in place to show your commitment, then other folk will be more inclined to invest.
It is a classic Catch 22 - folk do not want to invest unless they can see that tangible progress has been made already.

 

[BlueBell]

Issa,

Thank you for your Personal Message and your above explanation.

I will consider your message but would prefer our communications be kept here, on your thread, so it is public.

BB

 

[Issa]

Well said BajanSailor.

Issa, I will back your venture dollar for dollar.
Just send me what you've raised ( I need to see the cash of course ) and I'll match it.
But I expect a 133% return on my dollar once you're up and running.

Please make a better deal if you can find it.

Welcome back.

Dear BlueBell,

At the outset, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your response to my recent publication. I have always approached professional endeavors through a pragmatic lens, and it is precisely this form of intellectual pragmatism, (consistent, structured, and results-oriented) that I have repeatedly observed in your contributions since the very beginning of my journey on this forum.

That being said, allow me to outline the conceptual and strategic framework underpinning my current initiative, which concerns the identification and engagement of a suitable financial partner for the West Maritime Coast (WMC) project.

West Maritime Coast (WMC) is a highly structuring project with significant sub-regional impact across West Africa. It is the outcome of a rigorous and comprehensive feasibility study. A multidisciplinary team of experts, personally assembled and supervised by myself, worked full-time for over one year to produce a detailed and robust project document. This document has since been reviewed and validated by specialists from several financial institutions.

Beyond this expert validation, four members of the Government of Benin (the Country I‘m coming from), who granted me official audiences, have formally endorsed our approach and expressed their willingness to support and accompany the implementation of the West Maritime Coast (WMC) project.

With regard to my search for a financial partner, I wish to emphasize my full openness to any reasonable and acceptable arrangements that would ensure the security and sustainability of the investor’s commitment. In clear terms, I am prepared to provide all necessary guarantees to fully reassure the investor.

The total investment required over a four-year period is estimated at approximately EUR 63 million, an amount that we are confident can be raised with relative ease on both national and international financial markets.


The EUR 1 million currently sought would be allocated to the launch of initial operational activities of West Maritime Coast (WMC). This initial phase is intended to generate tangible proof of concept and credible operational references, thereby strengthening our positioning vis-à-vis national and international financial institutions.

The financial partner will benefit from comprehensive guarantees ensuring the protection and profitability of their investment. Among the possible arrangements under consideration is a loan agreement, repayable over three years, combined with the allocation of a 10% equity stake in West Maritime Coast (WMC). This equity participation is projected to generate approximately EUR 2.5 million per annum starting from the fourth year of operations.

An alternative structure could involve the investor directly acquiring the first vessels from our supplier and reselling them to West Maritime Coast (WMC) with an agreed profit margin. This margin would be settled over a three-year period, including a one-year grace period, while the investor would retain a 5% equity stake in the company.

These proposals are indicative and reflect our commitment to ensuring a secure, transparent, and attractive return on investment for our financial partners.

I remain fully available at your convenience to deliver a detailed pitch presentation of the West Maritime Coast (WMC) project.

I look forward to your valuable feedback and, in the meantime, wish you an excellent day.


Yours sincerely,

 

[Issa]

Issa,

Thank you for your Personal Message and your above explanation.

I will consider your message but would prefer our communications be kept here, on your thread, so it is public.

BB

Dear BlueBell,


Thank you for your insightful and valuable feedback.


I have no objection whatsoever to placing our discussions in the public domain; on the contrary, this was my initial course of action. It was only upon further reflection that I considered you might prefer my proposal to be formulated in a more discreet, one-to-one setting.


My approach is governed by a level of transparency so pronounced that it may occasionally be perceived as excessive openness. That said, my intent is neither naïveté nor indiscretion, but rather intellectual honesty and methodological clarity.


Accordingly, I remain fully open and available to any conceptual reconsideration or alternative framework, provided it remains within reasonable and well-defined bounds.

Kind regards,

 

[Barry]

In short, all technical, institutional, and regulatory prerequisites are in place, and the project is ready for immediate launch. The only remaining element is the engagement of a reliable financial partner, one who stands to generate substantial returns. When I say substantial, I mean exceptionally high, while operating within a framework of controlled and limited risk.

Your communication skills are very good.

If you are seeking 63mm E, then you will already have (if you have any business acumen) a complete Business Plan, including Cash Flow, commuter numbers (substantiated by current crossings by other means), locations of crossings, a list of competitors in your market place, your experience with such a project (ie degrees, previous positions etc) , share structure, expected board of directors with their credentials, non-dilution covenenats, format of guarantees, a list of your expenses to date, a letter from the current government, country and municiplity and regional, permissions to operate, which countries laws will be used to operate under for the necessary agreements and the list goes on. These are just what pop into my head.

If you do not have these these (and other specific reports, studies) I doubt that this is a bonafide request to secure funding.

Note that Issa just posted some information 10 minutes ago.

Comprehensive feasibility studies have been conducted and successfully concluded by an internationally renowned consulting firm. Furthermore, the relevant governments have granted their approval in principle, along with formal commitments to accompany and support the project.

Lets see that data if you are serious

In clear terms, I am prepared to provide all necessary guarantees to fully reassure the investor.
The total investment required over a four-year period is estimated at approximately EUR 63 million, an amount that we are confident? can be raised with relative ease on both national and international financial markets.

If you are able to provide the necessary guarantees, then you should be able to fund the first 1MM yourself
If you are confident that you can be raise the 63mmE amount from other financial market, then you should go for it. There are various entities available through New York
that do this IF THE PROJECT IS VIABLE and the risk within normal limits.

You 5% equity offer for a 63mmE, investment is ridiculously low and only an unsophisticated investor would sign onto that. But anyone having that kind of money to invest would more
than likely NOT be unsophisticated in business matters. I have seen quite a few minority shareholder business structures leave the minority shareholder negatively impacted.

I am skeptical of the entire thread. A lot of un-substantiated claims at this point in time.

A business peer recently found that many African countries do not have extradition treaties with other countries in the world. To date this has cost him $x mm in lost cash.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just pulled this info off Wiki, which may not be the best source of information but??

On 7 December 2025, a coup attempt occurred in which a faction of the army led by Pascal Tigri claimed to have overthrown President Talon and suspended the government and all political parties.[54] However, the government later announced it had suppressed the coup and regained full control of all institutions, although Talon's whereabouts were unknown.

 

[Issa]

Your communication skills are very good.

If you are seeking 63mm E, then you will already have (if you have any business acumen) a complete Business Plan, including Cash Flow, commuter numbers (substantiated by current crossings by other means), locations of crossings, a list of competitors in your market place, your experience with such a project (ie degrees, previous positions etc) , share structure, expected board of directors with their credentials, non-dilution covenenats, format of guarantees, a list of your expenses to date, a letter from the current government, country and municiplity and regional, permissions to operate, which countries laws will be used to operate under for the necessary agreements and the list goes on. These are just what pop into my head.

If you do not have these these (and other specific reports, studies) I doubt that this is a bonafide request to secure funding.

Note that Issa just posted some information 10 minutes ago.


Lets see that data if you are serious



If you are able to provide the necessary guarantees, then you should be able to fund the first 1MM yourself
If you are confident that you can be raise the 63mmE amount from other financial market, then you should go for it. There are various entities available through New York
that do this IF THE PROJECT IS VIABLE and the risk within normal limits.

You 5% equity offer for a 63mmE, investment is ridiculously low and only an unsophisticated investor would sign onto that. But anyone having that kind of money to invest would more
than likely NOT be unsophisticated in business matters. I have seen quite a few minority shareholder business structures leave the minority shareholder negatively impacted.

I am skeptical of the entire thread. A lot of un-substantiated claims at this point in time.

A business peer recently found that many African countries do not have extradition treaties with other countries in the world. To date this has cost him $x mm in lost cash.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just pulled this info off Wiki, which may not be the best source of information but??

On 7 December 2025, a coup attempt occurred in which a faction of the army led by Pascal Tigri claimed to have overthrown President Talon and suspended the government and all political parties.[54] However, the government later announced it had suppressed the coup and regained full control of all institutions, although Talon's whereabouts were unknown.

Dear Barry,

Thank you for your contribution, which I acknowledge as part of the diversity of viewpoints that naturally accompanies any serious discussion.

That said, a significant portion of your remarks appears to be taken out of context. It also seems that my previous messages were either not carefully reviewed or that their substance may not have been fully apprehended.

Allow me, therefore, to clarify a few essential points:

• All of the concerns you raise are comprehensively addressed in the feasibility study commissioned under my direct supervision and made available to the relevant parties. The full report spans approximately 200 pages and was produced by an internationally reputable consulting firm. The entire process extended over more than one year and followed rigorous technical, financial, and operational standards.
• Prior to the 5% equity participation on which you have chosen to focus, there exists an initial structure involving a 10% equity allocation offered to a lending investor. Under this arrangement, the investor recovers the full amount of the one-million investment within three years, while retaining the 10% equity stake in West Maritime Coast (WMC). To be unequivocally clear, this structure concerns a reimbursable one-million investment, not a sixty-three-million equity injection as suggested in your comments.
• With regard to the 5% equity structure you emphasized, this scenario applies to a commercial partner rather than a pure financial investor. In this case, the partner procures the initial vessels required (one Million Investment) to start the project directly from our supplier and resells them to West Maritime Coast (WMC) with an agreed commercial margin. Payment is effected by WMC in installments over a three-year period, with a one-year grace period, and is complemented by an equity participation of 5% in the company.

I trust that these clarifications help dispel any ambiguities and shed further light on the aspects that may have appeared unclear. I remain fully available to address any additional questions should the need arise.

As for the final point raised in your message, I will refrain from commenting on opinions expressed about a region of the world with which you appear to have limited firsthand familiarity.

Kind regards,

Issa.

 

[Rumars]

As for the final point raised in your message, I will refrain from commenting on opinions expressed about a region of the world with which you appear to have limited firsthand familiarity.

Kind regards,

Issa.

Issa please, let's cut the BS. You had Olivier Boko lined up to support your project, both financially and politically. Now he's rotting in jail with a 20 years sentence for plotting against the president. None of his many business partners with deep pockets are willing to invest without him, so you're standed.

Realistically, nobody who isn't familiar with the local situation is going to invest one cent in West Africa, and people who are familiar won't invest without a real power broker on hand.
The whole business plan, the expert opinions, your government endorsements are worth nothing if you can't guarantee to your investors that you can walk into Talon's office after only one phone call.

 

[Issa]

Issa please, let's cut the BS. You had Olivier Boko lined up to support your project, both financially and politically. Now he's rotting in jail with a 20 years sentence for plotting against the president. None of his many business partners with deep pockets are willing to invest without him, so you're standed.

Realistically, nobody who isn't familiar with the local situation is going to invest one cent in West Africa, and people who are familiar won't invest without a real power broker on hand.
The whole business plan, the expert opinions, your government endorsements are worth nothing if you can't guarantee to your investors that you can walk into Talon's office after only one phone call.

Thank you, Rumars, for your message and for your contribution to the various exchanges surrounding the West Maritime Coast (WMC) project. As I have previously stated, diversity of perspectives is an inherent and necessary component of any meaningful collective endeavor.

That being said, I do not recall having referred to any individual (public figure or otherwise) by name in any of my previous comments. I do, however, note your familiarity with the media-driven narrative of Benin, which is, in itself, a rather intriguing observation.

I am uncertain as to how many investors have been required to secure a personal audience with the President of the Republic prior to undertaking investments in Benin. This assumption, in my view, reflects a somewhat caricatural and reductive perception of Africa in general, and of Benin in particular.

If it offers any reassurance, please allow me to clarify that my access to the Presidency is unrestricted. Nevertheless, I thank you for your contribution to the discussion.

Kind regards,

Issa.

 

[gonzo]

In short, all technical, institutional, and regulatory prerequisites are in place, and the project is ready for immediate launch. The only remaining element is the engagement of a reliable financial partner, one who stands to generate substantial returns.

Please post all the documentation to make your claims credible.

 

[Issa]

Thank you, Gonzo, for your contribution, which I received with interest and good spirit, as did several others.


I note that Bajansailor’s initial comment was particularly influential and invites reflection on whether this platform is indeed the most appropriate environment for my objective of identifying a financial partner.
Nevertheless, experience has shown me that a wide range of viewpoints is to be expected (and often valuable) within any public forum.


I would like to clarify that the materials supporting this initiative include highly sensitive and confidential documents, developed at significant cost. For this reason, it would not be appropriate to share such content in an open, public setting.


That said, I remain entirely willing to disclose the results of the feasibility studies to relevant and qualified parties, subject to the prior execution of a confidentiality and non-circumvention agreement. Any such information would, of course, be intended solely for evaluation purposes and would not be shared or disseminated further without prior written authorization.


My initial proposal was to arrange a videoconference during which I could present a structured overview of the project, outline its technical and economic fundamentals, and address any questions or concerns in real time, supported by appropriate evidence.


Thank you for your attention.

 

[gonzo]

That said, I remain entirely willing to disclose the results of the feasibility studies to relevant and qualified parties, subject to the prior execution of a confidentiality and non-circumvention agreement. Any such information would, of course, be intended solely for evaluation purposes and would not be shared or disseminated further without prior written authorization.

If you are serious, there should be no problem making public all the approved permits, designs and other compliant parts of the business plan. As a matter of fact, IPOs include all of that to be able to attract investors. What I understand is that you have no plan, no money, no collateral, and insist on secrecy. At the same time claim:

My approach is governed by a level of transparency so pronounced that it may occasionally be perceived as excessive openness. That said, my intent is neither naïveté nor indiscretion, but rather intellectual honesty and methodological clarity.

 

[Rumars]

The potential investor pool splits roughly and mainly in two:
1. the people that are familiar with West Africa because they are already doing business there, either in person or trough their representatives.
2. the people who as you say have a "somewhat carricatural and reductive perception of Africa in general".

The second group will always ask themselves: "wait a minute, if this is such a good investment opportunity how come the locals aren't crawling all over it already? What do they know that I don't, and why is this guy forced to go on a boat design forum in search for money, instead of taking more established routes?"
The fact that it's indeed prejudice doesn't means it's not real and affecting people's decisions to part with their money.
The chances of finding someone from the first group or from other more fringe type of investors on this forum is relatively small.