The African Development Bank officially launched its 2025 Country Focus Report for Burkina Faso on 18 July 2025 in Ouagadougou. The report is the national edition of the African Economic Outlook and was unveiled during a virtual session attended by over 80 participants, including representatives from public administration, financial and technical partners, academia, the private sector, and Bank officials.
Professor Kevin Urama, Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management at the African Development Bank, emphasized in a video message that the Country Focus Reports aim to inform national policies and promote constructive dialogue between governments and development partners.
The 2025 report is centered on the theme “Making Burkina Faso’s Capital Work Better for its Development.” It reviews recent macroeconomic trends within the context of the country’s ongoing security and humanitarian challenges and outlines medium-term strategies for economic transformation. Despite these difficulties, Burkina Faso’s economy showed continued growth in 2024, supported by its wealth in natural, human, entrepreneurial, and financial capital. The report stresses that more effective use of these resources is essential to bridging the country’s financing gap.
Macroeconomic indicators have shown positive trends, with GDP growth estimated at 5% in 2024. However, to generate significant social impact, the report calls for a transformation of the economy by leveraging key national resources, socio-economic infrastructure, and good governance.
The report outlines several key strategies to close the financing gap: increasing agricultural productivity and agro-industrial development, enhancing mining revenues and tackling illicit financial flows, expanding access to education, healthcare, and vocational training, and strengthening the capacity of tax, customs, and mining institutions. It also highlights the importance of modernizing the judicial system, boosting state oversight, and improving forest management.
Abdoulaye Diop, President of the West African Economic and Monetary Union Commission, praised the report’s comprehensive approach. He noted Burkina Faso’s resilience and strong performance in domestic resource mobilization, with a tax-to-GDP ratio nearing 19%, the highest within the Union. The report further highlights the country’s consistent commitment to implementing Union legislation.
Presentations during the launch emphasized the urgency of reducing reliance on external aid, strengthening domestic resource use, harnessing human and mineral capital for development financing, and improving governance. The Burkinabe government reaffirmed its satisfaction with the quality of its collaboration with the African Development Bank.
