Burkina Faso: Towards an ambitious national strategy for artificial intelligence
On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the Minister for Digital Transition, Dr. Aminata Zerbo, addressed the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT) to respond to a question regarding the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Burkina Faso. In response to a query from Deputy Darga Nassouri about the state of AI in the country, the minister presented ongoing initiatives and advocated for the creation of a sovereign fund dedicated to digital innovation.
Dr. Aminata Zerbo praised the relevance of the question, emphasizing that AI represents a strategic issue for Burkina Faso’s development, rather than just a “technological luxury”. She highlighted that her department is actively working to establish institutional and legal frameworks for regulating the use of this technology. Among the initiatives already underway, she mentioned the publication of a monitoring bulletin on AI issues and the contribution to the creation of regional guidelines on data governance and AI ethics in 2024.
The minister also announced that 2025 would mark a pivotal moment with the adoption of a specific AI action plan, based on a revision of the national digital strategy. She stressed the importance of digital infrastructure, such as the national backbone and data centers, as well as human resource training. She praised the availability of AI-focused master’s programs in Burkinabe universities and announced the recruitment of 100 engineers for accelerated training in AI and cybersecurity.
Among the government’s ambitions, Dr. Zerbo mentioned strengthening local capacities, developing AI excellence hubs, and including a dedicated AI budget line in the national budget. She also discussed three ongoing projects: the DJAM platform, a tool for analyzing threats to social cohesion using AI, and two chatbots designed to simplify access to information on electronic communications regulation and legislative texts.
Deputy Darga Nassouri praised the government’s efforts while urging the swift implementation of these initiatives. The minister concluded by reaffirming the state’s commitment to making AI a lever for sustainable development and digital sovereignty for Burkina Faso.
