The African Development Bank (AfDB) is fine-tuning its strategic vision for Burkina Faso with a clear roadmap for 2027-2031. A high-level delegation led by Lamin Barrow, AfDB Director-General for West Africa, conducted an intensive five-day working visit to Ouagadougou from May 4 to 8, 2026, to initiate consultations for the upcoming Country Strategy Paper (CSP) 2027-2031. This framework will shape the bank’s future support to align with Burkina Faso’s core development priorities.
The mission served a dual purpose: assessing outcomes from the interim 2022-2026 framework—recently extended through the end of the year—and mapping the strategic pillars for the new partnership cycle. Key focus areas include economic resilience, infrastructure expansion, productive sector transformation, private sector empowerment, and enhanced project delivery efficiency.
During high-level dialogues with government officials, Lamin Barrow commended Burkina Faso’s ‘steady progress in macroeconomic performance and security stabilization efforts’, while emphasizing the pivotal role of the national ‘RELANCE’ Plan (2026-2030) in unlocking sustained economic momentum.
Aboubakar Nacanabo, Minister of Economy and Finance, urged the AfDB to prioritize support for productive investments to drive industrialization, scale up energy capacity, and boost private sector competitiveness. He further called for ‘greater operational agility and accelerated funding disbursements’ to meet urgent development needs.
Current AfDB portfolio figures underscore the depth of collaboration. As of April 30, 2026, the bank’s active project portfolio in Burkina Faso encompasses 19 initiatives across five critical sectors, totaling $956.1 million in commitments. Since the interim strategy’s launch, 13 projects have secured approval, with two additional financings anticipated by year-end.
The consultations also surfaced critical operational challenges to address in the next cycle: streamlining procurement processes, improving responsiveness to community-level priorities, and sustaining nationwide investments amid ongoing security and stability concerns.