馃嚙馃嚝Burkina FasoWest Africa
Burkina Faso hosts national symposium to institutionalize corporate social responsibility
via Lefaso.net3 min read
Burkina Faso held a national symposium on April 14, 2026, in Ouagadougou, focusing on the institutionalization of Corporate Social Responsibility CSR as a strategic lever for sustainable development. The event, placed under the patronage of Prime Minister S.E.M. Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ou茅draogo, was organized by the Centre for Economic and Social Policy Analysis CAPES, the General Confederation of Enterprises of Faso COGEF, and the CSR Forum. Over 500 participants from public administration, the private sector, academia, and technical and financial partners attended, discussing the theme "Institutionalization of Corporate Social Responsibility CSR in Burkina Faso: Issues, Challenges, and Perspectives." 脡mile Zerbo, Minister of Territorial Administration and Mobility, representing the head of government, officially opened the symposium. He highlighted the collective awareness surrounding CSR and reiterated Burkina Faso's commitment to regaining sovereignty through responsible industrialization. He emphasized that the government's vision of CSR extends beyond charitable actions, calling for a paradigm shift to make it a qualitative lever. Minister Zerbo defined a socially responsible company as one that prioritizes local content, invests in youth training and skills development, adopts environmentally friendly practices, and ensures dignified and safe working conditions. He stressed that a responsible company actively contributes to national sovereignty by strengthening economi
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Bridge Bank Group C么te d'Ivoire BBGCI will open subscriptions for its initial public offering on the Bourse R茅gionale des Valeurs Mobili猫res BRVM on July 20, 2026. The operation aims to raise 67.5 billion FCFA and will be accessible to individual and institutional investors across the eight UEMOA countries. This offering, approved by the Autorit茅 des March茅s Financiers de l'Union Mon茅taire Ouest-Africaine AMF-UMOA, involves 20% of the bank's capital, with shares priced at 6,750 FCFA each. The subscription period runs from July 20 to August 6, 2026, with a possibility of early closure. Share settlement and delivery are scheduled for August 21, and the first listing on the BRVM is expected on September 14, 2026. In 2025, BBGCI reported a net profit of 27.2 billion FCFA, a 19% increase, and a net banking income of 68 billion FCFA, up by 15%. Its total balance sheet exceeded 1,427 billion FCFA. The funds raised will strengthen the group's equity, support SME financing, advance its digital transformation, and facilitate regional expansion. BBGCI has already secured authorization to open a branch in Burkina Faso, with plans for establishments in Senegal and Guinea. Investors interested in subscribing must open a securities account with a BRVM-approved asset management and intermediation company SGI and place an order during the specified period. They are advised to consult the official prospectus approved by the AMF-UMOA before making any investment decisions.
Must ReadOn Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's Prime Minister, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ou茅draogo, met with the President of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, advocating for a refoundation of the pan-African organization. The Prime Minister called for a more sovereign, effective African Union that aligns better with the aspirations of African people. He questioned if the African Union is truly a union and truly African, citing the dissipation of unity ambitions and insufficient solidarity with African populations facing existential threats, particularly in the Sahel. He criticized the AU for focusing on "discourse of principle" instead of providing concrete solutions to urgent issues. Ou茅draogo also stated that the conflict in the Sahel is a "war of recolonization" and denounced an informational war against Burkina Faso and the Confederation of Sahel States, urging the AU to move beyond externally imposed narratives. He highlighted the difficulty for Africans to travel within the continent as evidence that true union is lacking. Furthermore, he argued that the AU's dependence on foreign funding prevents it from defending African causes, emphasizing that "the hand that receives is always below the one that gives." He urged the AU to champion African sovereignty in line with the vision of its founding fathers and to undertake a deep self-criticism of its direction to defend African interests. In response, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf affirmed understanding
Must ReadDjibril Pamousso initiated the Grand Data Exhibition in Africa GSDA with the goal of fostering an African ecosystem where data drives development. He emphasized that Africa must not be left behind as artificial intelligence transforms economies, administrations, and societies, highlighting the need to address the challenges and opportunities data presents for sustainable development. The exhibition aims to provide a framework for sharing experiences, strengthening skills, and creating synergies for the continent's development, based on a rigorous study of the needs of businesses, administrations, academia, and youth. The first edition of GSDA is under the patronage of the Minister of Digital Transition, Aminata Zerbo/Saban茅. Michel Jonas Som茅, representing the Minister, praised the initiative as timely, offering Burkina Faso and Africa a platform for strategic exchanges on data in the age of artificial intelligence. He noted that data has become a strategic resource, with a country's ability to produce, collect, organize, protect, host, and leverage its data indicating its power and autonomy. Som茅 stressed that mastering data is a strategic imperative for Africa, given its talented youth, dynamic universities, innovative businesses, and considerable potential. He also mentioned Burkina Faso's efforts to secure national digital assets through data center acquisition, aiming to make data a lever for sovereignty, public performance, and value creation. The GSDA will feature high