AfDB urges Burkina Faso to harness national resources for sustainable development 

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called on Burkina Faso to make better use of its domestic resources to drive sustainable development, as it launched the 2025 Country Focus Report for the nation.

The report, a national version of the African Economic Outlook, was officially presented on July 18 in Ouagadougou during a virtual ceremony chaired by Souleymane Nabolé, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Economy and Finance. Also in attendance were Daniel Ndoye, the AfDB’s Country Manager for Burkina Faso, and over 80 participants including representatives from government, development partners, academia, the private sector, and Bank executives.

In a video message, Professor Kevin Urama, AfDB Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, emphasised that the Country Focus Reports aim to guide national policy and foster dialogue between governments and their partners.

The 2025 report, themed “Making Burkina Faso’s Capital Work Better for its Development,” examines the country’s recent macroeconomic performance amidst ongoing security, humanitarian, and climate challenges. It also outlines medium-term prospects and strategic policy recommendations for accelerating economic transformation.

Despite these persistent hurdles, the AfDB noted that the Burkinabe economy showed resilience, recording an estimated 5% growth in 2024. The report identifies abundant natural, human, entrepreneurial, and financial capital as assets that, if fully utilised, could help bridge the country’s significant development financing gap.

Nabolé, speaking on behalf of the government, echoed the Bank’s position, noting that, “Macroeconomic indicators are improving, with growth estimated at five per cent in 2024. To have a meaningful social impact, we must explore how to transform the Burkinabe economy by leveraging our natural and human capital, infrastructure, and governance systems.”

To close the financing gap and drive economic transformation, the report offers several key policy recommendations:

Boost agricultural productivity and develop agro-industrial value chains

Strengthen mining revenue collection and curb illicit financial flows

Improve access to education, healthcare, and vocational training

Enhance the capacities of tax, customs, and mining authorities

Modernise the judiciary, bolster state oversight, and improve forest management

Abdoulaye Diop, President of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) Commission, commended the report’s comprehensive approach, saying it creates “optimal conditions for success and improved performance of national economies.”

Diop praised Burkina Faso’s fiscal resilience, noting that it currently boasts the highest domestic resource mobilisation rate in the WAEMU, with a tax-to-GDP ratio approaching 19%. He also acknowledged the country’s consistent efforts in aligning with Union legislation.

Participants at the launch discussed the need to deepen domestic resource mobilisation in light of declining foreign aid, improve governance of public assets, and leverage mineral wealth and human capital to fund national development.

In his closing remarks, AfDB Country Manager Ndoye expressed satisfaction with the event’s high engagement and the alignment between the report’s recommendations and Burkina Faso’s existing development strategies. “We commend the country’s performance, particularly in terms of resource mobilisation,” he said. “There is clear convergence between the report’s conclusions and the government’s ongoing efforts, especially those prioritising human capital development.”

Nabolé also reaffirmed Burkina Faso’s appreciation for its strong partnership with the African Development Bank.