Kola puts fizz into Guinea

By Alhassan Sillah
BBC, Nzerekore

For traders in Guinea's bustling, southern border town of Nzerekore, the bitter-tasting kola nut means big business.

Kola nuts play a central role in many cultural ceremonies

Rich in caffeine, the nut is chewed throughout West Africa and as the popular African saying goes: "He who brings kola, brings life".

It was one of the key ingredients in Coca-Cola.

Depending on size and quality, a kola nut costs between 200 Guinea francs (four US cents) to 500 Guinea francs (11 US cents).

But it is believed that only those who eat it really know its true worth or value.

As Mansa Moussa Conde cracks open a nut to reveal its contents at a downtown kola store, he says the nut can heal various ailments.

"It treats certain illnesses like sexual weakness, for example. But when we use kola, this stops. It also cures all sorts of stomach aches," Mr Conde explains through a large slice of kola.

Stimulant

The kola is also used every day in religious ceremonies, as it is considered to be sacred.

"The kola has been used since the old times," Mr Conde says. "Because our parents offered it in sacrifices during marriages and bereavements."

It is especially popular with Muslims, who are not allowed to drink alcohol.

The elderly use it to fight fatigue, as kola is a stimulant.

However, the kola does have its detractors, who see it as a health risk, as regular users eat less and less food.

"Each time we use kola, our appetite reduces. But people do eat kola and we treat it just like the other things we eat, like rice or corn," Mr Conde says.

Kola seller El Hadj Sidique Konate says he is not interested in what makes people buy his product.

"I am in the trade for profit. I sell kola because people come to buy and eat it."

Fragile

It is a growing industry and outside Nzerekore vast areas of verdant forest have been cleared to plant kola trees.

The nuts are exported across West Africa

Great care is taken during the year-round kola harvest, because if the nut hits the ground it will split.

Nets and bags are spread below the trees to catch the fragile nuts.

Afterwards they are shipped into town where the dealers sort and wash them before being put into bags for the market.

"We wash the kola in order to prevent insects from getting into them. The process kills the insects," says Abdul Karim, one of several young men working at the store.

"We have to take great care with the storing kola, otherwise the insects could easily infiltrate the whole store."

The kola is treated with care because large quantities are for export.

Nzerekore is on the border with Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast and huge trucks leave the town each day for these countries and further afield.

"We often export this kola to Senegal, Gambia and Mali, like any other crop," says Mr Conde.

Whether or not kola nut brings life, it is certainly bringing a lot of money into the pockets of those in Nzerekore who deal in it.