On 8 June in Ouagadougou, stakeholders in Burkina Faso’s aquaculture sector validated and unveiled a set of strategic documents aimed at sustainably guiding the industry’s development. The validated materials include a sector diagnostic, an investment roadmap, and an operational guide, all designed to steer both public policies and private investments in aquaculture.
This effort is part of the Sahel RESILAND regional programme, which seeks to strengthen the resilience of Sahelian landscapes and the communities that depend on them. The programme focuses on sustainable land and water resource management, restoration of degraded ecosystems, and diversification of rural economic activities, with the ultimate goal of creating jobs and improving living conditions.
At the heart of this framework is a knowledge pillar that informs policy choices, structures future interventions, and promotes solutions tailored to local realities. Supporting this pillar is the Africa Sustainable Aquaculture initiative, covering several Sahelian countries including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad. The initiative aims to produce detailed national diagnostics and define coherent investment trajectories for sustainable aquaculture development.
The work carried out has produced an updated state of the country’s aquaculture sector, highlighting both its potential and its structural constraints. It also led to an investment roadmap identifying strategic priorities, financing needs, and implementation mechanisms, as well as a guide to support public and private project developers.
Presiding over the meeting, Issiaka Zouri—Study Officer at the General Secretariat of the ministry in charge of Agriculture, Water, and Animal and Fishery Resources—praised the contributions of various stakeholders in achieving these outcomes. He stressed the coherence of this approach with national ambitions to develop animal and fishery production, notably through the Offensive for agro-pastoral and fishery development.
According to Zouri, Burkina Faso possesses significant assets, including substantial water resources and a fishery potential that remains under-exploited. In this perspective, effective implementation of the guidelines resulting from this work should help further structure the sector, boost national fish production, improve food and nutritional security, and open up new economic opportunities for youth and women.
