Ouagadougou: In a surge of citizen participation, the driving forces of the Boulkiemde province met on Thursday for a crucial stage in the development of the new Nando Regional Development Plan (PRD). The provincial territorial diagnosis workshop, which was held in the conference room of the Regional Council, aims to gather the proposals and concerns of local stakeholders with a view to forging a common future.
According to Burkina Information Agency, since the dissolution of the Regional Councils and their replacement by Regional Special Delegations (DSR), a new impetus for local governance has been established. The DSR, as a deliberative and planning body, has made the development of this PRD 2026-2030 a major priority. This strategic document, which will take over from the previous plan which expired in 2021, should enable the region to equip itself with a tool for steering and managing its development for the next five years.
The stakes are high: the new PRD will not only have to integrate the state’s broad guidelines, but also take into account the region’s specific challenges and aspirations. With this in mind, participatory diagnostic workshops are being organized in all provinces, similar to the one held in Boulkiemde. The participants, including representatives of decentralized technical services, municipalities, and development partners, undertook an in-depth analysis of the province’s socio-economic situation.
In her opening speech, High Commissioner Salimata Ouedraogo/Sanou stressed the importance of this collaborative approach. “The success of the process of developing the regional development plan depends essentially on the local development stakeholders that you represent,” she said. Ms. Sanou also noted that the participants, each in their own way, are strong links in the chain, and that their expertise and commitment are essential to finding solutions adapted to the concerns of the populations.
The workshop made it possible to carry out a comprehensive inventory and to carry out a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats). The discussions focused on priority areas of development, while integrating cross-cutting and emerging themes such as gender, social cohesion, resilience to climate change, and human rights. The proposed solutions and actions to be taken that emerged from these discussions will serve as a basis for the development of the final PRD, which is intended to be a development benchmark for the Nando region.