Burkina Faso advances aquaculture sector restructuring for food security

On June 8 in Ouagadougou, burkinabe aquaculture stakeholders validated and unveiled a series of strategic documents designed to guide and sustainably structure the sector’s growth. The approved materials include a sector diagnostic, an investment roadmap, and an operational guide, all crafted to steer public policy and private investment in aquaculture.

This effort is part of the Sahel RESILAND regional program, which seeks to bolster the resilience of sahelian landscapes and the communities that rely on them. The program emphasises sustainable land and water management, restoration of degraded ecosystems, and diversification of rural economic activities, ultimately aiming to create jobs and improve living conditions.

At the core of this framework lies a knowledge pillar that informs public decisions, shapes future interventions, and promotes locally appropriate solutions. Within this context, the Africa Sustainable Aquaculture initiative—covering Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad—works to produce in-depth national diagnostics and define coherent investment trajectories for sustainable aquaculture development.

The work carried out has produced an updated overview of the burkinabe aquaculture sector, highlighting both its potential and its structural constraints. It also resulted in an investment path that identifies strategic priorities, financing needs, and implementation mechanisms, along with a guide to support public and private project promoters.

Chairing the meeting, Issiaka Zouri—study officer at the General Secretariat of the ministry in charge of Agriculture, Water, and Animal and Fishery Resources—commended the contributions of all stakeholders involved. He stressed the alignment of this approach with national ambitions for animal and fishery production development, particularly through the Offensive agropastorale et halieutique.

According to Zouri, Burkina Faso possesses significant assets, including considerable water resources and an under-exploited fishery potential. In this regard, effective implementation of the guidance from this work should help further structure the sector, boost domestic fish production, improve food and nutritional security, and create new economic opportunities for youth and women.