Niger Invites Burkina Faso To Partner In Coal Project For Sahel Energy Independence

A delegation from Niger, led by Minister of Energy Haoua Amadou, held talks in Ouagadougou with Burkina Faso’s Leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, extending a formal invitation for Burkina Faso to join a major coal complex project in the town of Salkadamna, Niger.

The discussions centred around a strategic regional energy initiative aimed at laying the groundwork for the energy independence of the Confederation of Sahel States (CSS), comprising Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.

We had the opportunity, the great honour and pride to discuss a strategic project, the coal complex project in Salkadamna,” Minister Amadou said, speaking on behalf of Niger’s President Abdourahamane Tchiani.

“We approached Burkina Faso with a proposal to join this initiative, to give the project a regional dimension and show our partners that it is not a project for one nation, but for the entire Sahel region.”

According to Amadou, the Salkadamna coal complex aims to support long-term energy self-sufficiency and economic resilience across the CSS member states. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on external energy supplies and promote intra-regional cooperation in the face of ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges.

The proposed partnership follows a series of collaborative moves among CSS countries. In May 2025, Niger and Mali reached an agreement to facilitate fuel deliveries to regions in northern Mali, signalling a growing push for regional integration in the energy sector.

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