Burkina Faso Expands Digital Partnerships as AfDB Eyes Strategic Projects

• Burkina Faso presented 12 flagship digital projects to the African Development Bank (AfDB) during talks in Ouagadougou.

• The government seeks funding and technical support for digital infrastructure, public service modernization, and emerging technology skills.

• The discussions form part of Burkina Faso’s broader strategy to diversify digital partnerships with Russia, the UAE, Niger, and Mali.

Burkina Faso stepped up efforts to expand partnerships in the digital sector as the government seeks to accelerate its digital transformation agenda. Against a backdrop of growing regional and international initiatives, the African Development Bank (AfDB) reaffirmed its interest in supporting the country’s strategic projects.

Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications Minister Aminata Zerbo/Sabane met an AfDB delegation in Ouagadougou on Wednesday, May 6, during a working session focused on Burkina Faso’s digital priorities. The meeting reflected the authorities’ strategy to strengthen strategic partnerships around digital development, which the government considers a key driver of economic and social growth.

During the discussions, the minister presented the 12 flagship projects under her ministry, alongside the main progress achieved and ongoing initiatives. The projects notably target the expansion of digital infrastructure, the modernization of public services, and the strengthening of skills in emerging technologies. She also reaffirmed the government’s ambition to position digital technologies as a central engine for transforming the economy and public administration.

The talks identified several potential areas of cooperation. Both parties will now deepen technical discussions to determine which projects could receive AfDB support.

The African Development Bank, which already supports several digital transformation initiatives across Africa, welcomed the consistency of Burkina Faso’s strategic direction. The institution also reiterated its readiness to back major sector projects, particularly those related to infrastructure and digital skills development.

The discussions form part of the implementation of Burkina Faso’s Country Strategy Paper “DSP-i 2022-2025,” which the parties extended through 2026 and which frames AfDB interventions in the country. The strategy gives digital transformation an increasingly prominent role as a cross-cutting driver of competitiveness, inclusion, and modernization.

The meeting also came as Burkina Faso diversified its digital partnerships. In recent days, the country launched discussions with Russia on technological cooperation. Burkina Faso has also expanded regional collaborations with Niger and Mali, while developing digital-sector ties with the United Arab Emirates.

At the multilateral level, Burkina Faso already benefits from World Bank support through several flagship programs, including the Digital Transformation Acceleration Project (PACTDIGITAL) and the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) initiative, which focuses on regional digital identification systems.

Samira Njoya