The President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has expressed commitment to massively invest in other sectors, including health, education and agriculture, once the country’s security situation further improves.
“When the fever subsidies and spending is brought under control, we will need to invest heavily in defence and internal security, as well as in the education, health and agriculture sectors,” Traoré said yesterday in Ouagadougou during the 2024 Day of Educational Excellence.
He said that while the government focuses on various areas, immediate priority will be given to these four sectors to improve the conditions for those involved. He added that several initiatives have already begun in agriculture, education, health, and community development.
Specifically for education, Captain Traoré announced plans to build public schools to prevent external influences from attracting talented students through scholarships.
Burkina Faso has been heavily affected by insecurity due to terrorist attacks from Al-Qaida affiliated and other regional Islamist groups. However, a coup d’état, which took place in the Sahel region on 30 September 2022, removing Interim President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba over his inability to deal with the country’s Islamist insurgency, brought to power Captain Traoré, who has since taken various bold initiatives to end terrorism.
In January 2023, Traore ended the military accord with France after it failed to combat the insecurity that plagued the region despite years of establishing military bases. He signed a mutual defence pact with Niger and Mali, forming the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), aiming to collectively combat armed rebellion or external threats while also strengthening his alliance with Russia, a move for which he’s been praised.
While tackling insecurity remains a top priority for Traore, he has committed to investing heavily in other sectors, including health, education, and agriculture.
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