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When Rekia Foudel returned to her native country of Niger as an adult, she noticed something that would change her life forever.
She met climate entrepreneurs everywhere, but few of them were getting the funding they needed.
After earning an MBA in the U.S. and spending five years working in corporate finance, Foudel found herself drawn back to her roots.
“What happens to founders after they’ve built their capacity?” she asked herself.
That question led her to found the Barka Fund – an impact investment group that caters to startups and small and medium enterprises across Sub-Saharan Africa.
“I’m putting my expertise to work by raising investment capital specifically targeted at climate entrepreneurs in Africa, particularly in regions like Niger and the Sahel that have immense potential but limited access to traditional funding channels,” says Foudel.
Foudel’s goal is to make climate action in Africa equitable and effective. The Barka Fund targets the ‘missing middle’ by securing capital for climate-focused enterprises that are too large for microfinance but too small for traditional investors.
It also supports early-stage climate entrepreneurs, with a special focus on women-led businesses and youth participation: at least 40 percent of Barka programs are women-led. In 2024, program participants raised over USD 1 million in funding.
Foudel has also served as the head of project development for the President of Niger, where she led a team in raising USD 437 million in development aid from the U.S. government. This money benefited 4 million people through climate-resilient initiatives such as improving access to roads, boosting market infrastructure and increasing access to water for agricultural use.
“I believe the critical turning point needed in finance is the recognition and systematic support of locally-led climate solutions, particularly in regions most vulnerable to climate change,” she says.
“This means moving beyond traditional investment models to create blended finance vehicles that combine technical assistance with flexible capital, enabling local entrepreneurs to scale their solutions.”
