LABE- Aguibou Barry is a rare bird in Guinea. This citizen of the prefecture of Labé, released his creative genius and achieved a feat that few people could imagine in Guinea. In 2000, he invented the reciprocating piston pump.
Aguibou Barry now chairs the group of Manufacturers of water pumps in Labé (FAPEL) now extended to the manufacture of all kinds of furniture. His business started in 2000 in Labé. With the determination of its CEO, FAPEL has proven itself in innovative entrepreneurship in Guinea and the West African sub-region. Nowadays, the reciprocating piston pump with human motility, obtained its patent of invention N0 12441 from the African Organization of intellectual cleanliness. Our regional correspondent met him in his workshop. Interview…
AFRICAGUIENE.COM: Mr. Barry hello!
AGUIBOU BARRY: Hello Mr. Bah!
You are the inventor of the Reciprocating piston pump which is used today in several fields. Explain how you came to this feat?
I would like to start with the little story first. The pump we are talking about was invented in 2000 by myself. In 2003 I applied to the national industrial property service under the Ministry of Industry for the patent. In 2004 I had the manufacturing patent through the OAPI (African intellectual property organization).
Through always the OAPI which has a structure to support inventors, in 2005 I obtained funding for the manufacture of 12 prototypes to be able to develop this technology always with the support funds for intellectual property (FAPI) and at the OAPI level. Thanks to that, I created a youth association for the manufacture of these pumps, hence the creation of FAPEL-GUINEA.
What variants do you make?
Today FAPEL GUINEE has several types of pumps. We manufacture several variants of pumps. We manufacture manual pumps for domestic use, irrigation pumps, pumps on mobile wheelbarrows in gardens, pumps on then market gardeners, pedal pumps already experienced in high guinea and timbi madina. Through these innovations, we participated in several international meetings funded by OAPI and some international institutions such as AFD (Agence Française de Développement) and the Research Institute for Development (IRD-France).
I participated in different fairs in 2005. Among others we participated in the innovation fair in Geneva. In June of the same year, I took part in the fair for African invention in Equatorial Guinea, in 2008 at the same fair held in Guinea Bissau.
Through these inventions, this technology, I took part in many forums where I represented Guinea within the framework of the Guinean invention. For your information, these pumps have been an example at the OAPI level. This gave rise to the invitation to FAPEL GUINEA to participate in important meetings.
Today, these two pumps for domestic and irrigation use are in high demand nationally and internationally. With international institutions, FAO, national projects such as PACV, PDSD, FIDA, which are partners with whom we work, we have installed nearly 1,500 pumps in Guinea, nearly 550 in neighboring countries. And with the support of Cameroonian partners, our pumps are introduced in Cameroon.
In 2013, I was fortunate with the invitation of the Head of State, Prof Alpha CONDE, to present him with the first irrigation pump. A pump that sucks at 8 meters and pumps up to 100 meters with a flow rate of 5000 liters per hour. These pumps are installed on vegetable wells and along rivers. I had the appreciation of the Head of State who really wanted to accompany us through these ministers. They organized a working meeting with SNAPE (national water supply service, editor’s note) to see in which framework FAPEL could develop this technology.
We also worked with Chinese partners around the domestic pump to industrialize it. Currently a sample is being shipped to China. We will work with this Chinese company until the first African stainless steel pump is obtained. After this work, we had an echo through the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs who invited me to participate in the international solidarity fair which was held on June 12, 2014 in Paris. On this occasion, we won the innovation trophy. It was the first time that this trophy comes to Africa. All this is thanks to this support from the Head of State with his desire to develop the industrialization initiative in Guinea.
The trophy enabled us to be among the 12 TOP STARS selected in Africa on November 6, 2014 to participate in innovative entrepreneurship in Paris. Here too, we have been honored to be among the 12. We have just signed an agreement with BONDINOV for the support of top stars which will span 2 years. To clarify Bondinov is a French association which supports innovative entrepreneurs through rigorous selection. First we were close to 105 entrepreneurs. It’s 12 who have drawn their attention for this year to promote internationally.
Soon a meeting will be organized in Paris on November 5 precisely. He is always around innovative entrepreneurship. But this time the theme will be focused on the environment, especially to prepare for COPE 21 also in Paris next December. All countries are invited, each will come with proposals. This is to tell you that FAPEL is today in the context of the environment, because we are fighting against deforestation, we are also fighting for rural development.
Today, we notice that you are not just limiting yourself to the manufacture of pumps. Explain how you managed to diversify your activities?
In 2007, we created wrought iron furniture to fight against deforestation. Nowadays, many people think that it is only wood that is usable for the manufacture of furniture whereas with wrought iron, it avoids or considerably reduces the cutting of wood and you have a lifetime guarantee with your furniture.
If you notice, we manufacture all kinds of furniture that has nothing to envy to imported furniture. Even the sub-region comes to buy this furniture, Mali, Senegal, the Ivory Coast, we ship it with good packaging to these countries. We make office furniture, hospital beds, we equip buildings for residential use.
All this is possible thanks to a team of dynamic young people, we have at least 25 young people in Labé. In Conakry it is a representation at the level of pumps. We want to expand our representations across the country with the support of partners.
What are your medium and long term goals?
Today we are working with the Ministry of Industry for the establishment of an industrial zone in Mamou. With the support of the State I am convinced that we can develop this technology not only for the training of young people but also for the creation of employment.
My goal is to have a semi-industrial workshop to recover all these young talents who come out of vocational schools and universities, train them, improve them and give them direct employment and it is possible. The vision is to have at least 100 young people per prefecture.
We are working on a project that France has launched which we call “France supports innovative entrepreneurs”, our participation in the competition is requested, it is a project for equipment, to modernize our activities.
What materials do you use?
The creator does not look far, that’s the real creation. Everything I find on the market, I work, I shape so that it is appreciated by everyone. Take the example of pumps. The irrigation pump is through recovered materials such as stainless steel rods from vehicles, shock absorbers, this is what I take to adapt, so I’m not looking far. In terms of furniture, you saw, it is the raw material that we use, everyone thinks that these kinds of metals are only intended for the manufacture of doors and windows when we can make pretty furniture guaranteed and competitive on the international market. I’m not looking far it’s a creation.
Do you have an appeal to the authorities?
I would first like to remind you that we have a lot of technicians in this country who are capable of creating. An example I knew a gentleman in the scrap yard of Madina (Conakry) who invented a bicycle that rides on water. I traveled with another in Equatorial Guinea who created a medical tape. I assure you that you can use it without going through the ultrasound and determining the evolution of the pregnancy, it is to tell you that the Guinean is very intelligent, it is the support that we lack. If we have support and the State manages to organize an invention fair every year to encourage researchers, if we want Guinea to be an emerging country, believe me, we can do it.
Why China is developed, it is because they do not sleep, you have more than 1000 inventions per year which are supported and supported by the state. It is research and development that we lack in Guinea, if we are supported and accompanied and that we leave all demagoguery and politics, I am sure that Guinea could move forward.
Mister Barry thank you!
You’re welcome !
Interview by Alpha Ousmane Bah
Africaguinnee.com regional correspondent at Labé
PS: For any need please note below the address of FAPEL:
Headquarters: Ndiolou Labé district. BP 122-Rep of Guinea, tel: (224) 622 87 23 37/664 5090 69/655 23 28 40
Read on: http://www.africaguinee.com/articles/2015/07/13/labe-la-rencontre-de-aguibou-barry-l-inventeur-de-la-pompe-piston-alternatif
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