Strategic roadmap unveiled to transform Burkina Faso’s aquaculture sector
In Ouagadougou, stakeholders in Burkina Faso’s aquaculture industry have finalized and approved key strategic documents designed to provide long-term guidance for the sector’s growth. The approval covers a comprehensive sector assessment, an investment pathway, and an operational guide—all tailored to shape public policy and private investment in aquaculture.
This initiative is part of the Sahel RESILAND regional program, which focuses on building resilience in Sahelian landscapes and the communities that rely on them. The program prioritizes sustainable land and water management, ecosystem restoration, and economic diversification in rural areas, with the goal of creating jobs and improving living standards for local populations.
A critical component of this framework is knowledge-sharing, which aims to inform policy decisions, guide future interventions, and promote locally adapted solutions. Within this context, the Africa Sustainable Aquaculture initiative plays a pivotal role. It spans multiple Sahelian countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad, and is dedicated to producing in-depth national diagnostics and defining coherent investment trajectories for sustainable aquaculture development.
The efforts have led to a detailed assessment of Burkina Faso’s aquaculture sector, highlighting both its potential and structural challenges. The findings have also resulted in an investment pathway that identifies strategic priorities, funding needs, and implementation mechanisms, along with a guide to support public and private project leaders in their initiatives.
Chairing the meeting, Issiaka Zouri, Study Officer at the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Animal and Fisheries Resources, commended the collaborative efforts that made these results possible. He emphasized how this approach aligns with the country’s broader goals for livestock and fisheries production, particularly through the Agropastoral and Fisheries Offensive.
Zouri highlighted Burkina Faso’s significant water resources and largely untapped fisheries potential as key assets. He noted that implementing the orientations from these documents will help further structure the sector, increase domestic fish production, enhance food and nutrition security, and create new economic opportunities for young people and women.