Burkina Faso: Captain Ibrahim Traoré launches a vast job creation program

Creating employment through the private sector to not only promote Burkina Faso’s economic growth but also use it as « a lever to fight terrorism»: that is the vision of the Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, as he launched the community entrepreneurship through popular shareholding on Monday, June 12. The program aims to create one million jobs within two years.

The Transition President is not only relying on armed struggle but also on job creation to tackle terrorism at its roots.

During the launch ceremony of community entrepreneurship through popular shareholding, Captain Ibrahim Traoré subscribed to the program symbolically and invited his fellow citizens from within and outside the country to follow suit.

« I invite all Burkinabe, from within and outside the country, to massively subscribe to this project because the future of Burkina Faso will not come from elsewhere», he urged.

Popular shareholding is a program that allows Burkinabe citizens from all backgrounds to invest in national projects and companies, enabling them as shareholders to benefit from financial returns in the form of dividends. It also aims to make the people the owners of capital and labor.

The program includes four enterprise projects for which the State contributes 20%, said Karim Traoré, Director General of the Agency for the Promotion of Community Entrepreneurship, before detailing them:

The first project involves expanding the Faso Tomato Company (SOFATO) by opening two new tomato processing plants in Bobo-Dioulasso and Tenkodogo to absorb national production.

The second project aims at creating a semi-mechanized gold mining company on a number of sites in collaboration with the Ministry in charge of mines.

The third project involves mechanization and agricultural intensification through the promotion of small-scale irrigation. This project will facilitate the creation of one million direct jobs within two years and equip 100,000 boreholes with solar pumping systems.

The fourth project will focus on «establishing a centralized purchasing center for local products to create a secure market for agricultural produce and organize the dissemination and controlled sale of essential commodities».

Under the theme «Popular shareholding for endogenous and inclusive development», the initiative is described by the Transition President as a program aimed at “writing a new chapter in our history”.

Neil Camara