Burkina Faso To Turn Seized Counterfeit Goods Worth $1.3 Million Into Fertilisers, Compost, Others

Fraudulent products worth 847,405,000 FCFA ($1.3 million), seized by the National Coordination for the Fight against Fraud (CNLF), will be repurposed for agro-pastoral production, the Minister of Economy, Aboubakar Nacanabo, announced on Tuesday in Ouagadougou.

The products, which include counterfeit food, veterinary, pharmaceutical, and clothing items, were handed over to the Association Verger Potager du Renouveau for transformation.

Speaking during the event, Dr Yves Kafando, coordinator of the CNLF, stated that instead of destruction, the organisation, in partnership with technical experts, sought a practical solution.

He said:

“On the instructions of the Minister in charge of the Economy, instead of incineration, the CNLF, in collaboration with technical partners, has strived to find a more useful alternative (to its products). These products will now be transformed into fertilisers, compost, paving stones, and other valuable materials.”

Minister Nacanabo praised the initiative, stating that it aligned with the government’s agro-pastoral objectives. “We are happy to see that these once-prohibited products can now support the agro-pastoral offensive,” he said.

He also added that whenever products unfit for consumption are seized, consideration will be given to the possibility of converting them into valuable products that can be used.

It will be recalled that the government recently received 44 gold bars after processing 142.37 tonnes of mining residues abandoned at the IAMGOLD Essakane mine.

This shows the country’s resourcefulness in maximising value from discarded or illicit materials. By turning waste into resources, the government is boosting agriculture and supporting its economy while tackling fraud.

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