Burkinabe researcher advocates for better utilization of migrant remittances in UEMOA region
via Lefaso.net6 min read
Julie Sandrine Bacyé/Sawadogo, a Burkinabe doctoral student, defended her economics thesis at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar on April 29, 2026. Her research, titled "Public development assistance and migrant remittances: a comparative analysis of the effects on poverty in the West African Economic and Monetary Union UEMOA," highlights the significant role of migrant remittances in improving living conditions. The study, which analyzed eight UEMOA countries from 2000 to 2022, found that public development assistance does not reduce multidimensional poverty and can even be associated with its relative increase. Conversely, migrant remittances effectively reduce multidimensional poverty, primarily due to their direct impact on households and essential expenditures. Bacyé/Sawadogo, an Inspector of the Treasury in a Burkinabe public institution, recommends reducing the costs of migrant remittances through fiscal measures and promoting their productive use for structural investments. She also suggests structural reform in targeting public development assistance and strengthening governance through effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The thesis, part of the interuniversity postgraduate program in economics, was supervised by Professor Chérif Sidy Kane and co-supervised by Dr. Salamata Traoré/Loaba. Bacyé/Sawadogo was awarded a doctorate with high honors.
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