Burkina Faso: How the country became attractive to investors
Long perceived through the prism of security, Burkina Faso is now a credible economic destination. The visit, in April 2026, of a delegation of about twenty Italian and Italian Burkinabe investors, project leaders in twelve sectors ranging from renewable energies to drone production, including airport logistics, says a lot about this change in perspective. Ouagadougou is no longer content to attract; It seduces with solid macroeconomic fundamentals and an actively reformed business environment.
The figures speak for themselves. In 2025, the country recorded growth of 6.5%, inflation under control at -0.5% and a trade surplus of nearly 2,000 billion CFA francs. This vitality, in a difficult regional context, is a strong signal for foreign capital in search of stability. The Minister of the Economy, Aboubakar Nacanabo, has also insisted on the speed of Burkinabe administration, with some investors noting that national procedures are faster than those of some European institutions.
Beyond the indicators, it is the institutional architecture that has been profoundly overhauled. The merger of the Burkina Faso Investment Agency and the Export Promotion Agency has given rise to ABIPEX, a one-stop shop that is supposed to streamline the support of project leaders. The Business Climate Steering Committee, which met in April 2026 under the aegis of the Prime Minister, adopted an ambitious reform plan including the digitalization of business licenses and the streamlining of procedures. The creation of fourteen Centers for Business Formalities (CEFORE) now makes it possible to register a company in about twenty-four hours.
The legal framework is not to be outdone. The Investment Code guarantees non-discrimination between nationals and foreigners, freedom of transfer of capital and preferential regimes graduated according to the volume invested and the jobs created. The 2026 Amending Finance Law introduced targeted exemptions on strategic inputs, particularly for animal feed and locally manufactured dairy products.
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo summed up this dynamic in an unequivocal formula: « You are welcome. All skills and expertise are welcome in Burkina Faso. » Behind the formula, there is a reality: Burkina Faso has understood that attractiveness cannot be decreed, it is built through measurable reforms and active listening to the private sector. Italian investors who left « satisfied » are the first tangible proof of this.
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