Koudougou: A mission from the National Land Coordination Authority (ANCF) is working to identify sites capable of hosting new production units. The objective: to lay the foundations for the reindustrialization of Koudougou and stimulate the regional economy.
According to Burkina Information Agency, once a vibrant industrial hub, the city of Koudougou is preparing to turn a new page in its history. A land survey mission, composed of experts from the National Land Coordination Authority (ANCF) and the General Directorate of Industrial Development, visited the city yesterday, Monday, to identify suitable sites for new factories.
This initiative is part of the vision of the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traor©, to relaunch industrialization in each region of the country, in order to create jobs and boost the local economy. The governor of the Nando region, Adama Jean Yves B©r©, welcomed the arrival of this mission, describing it as a welcome event. He emphasized that the industrial rehabilitation of Koudougou, and the region more broadly, is a priority for the authorities.
The aim is to restore the town of Koudougou and the L©o area to their former attractiveness, while relieving congestion in the capital Ouagadougou, which is suffering from increasing congestion. “This approach will help to keep young people in their homeland,” he declared, “and respond to the Head of State’s call to make each region a hub of development.” Mr. B©r© also reassured the mission of his “unwavering” commitment to facilitating the implementation of this project.
ANCF Technical Secretary Sibiri Hebi© clarified that the current mission is a prospecting phase. It involves visiting potential sites-whether the former 20-hectare industrial zone or the new 282-hectare expansion zone-to assess their characteristics. Wendlasida Anatole Abraham Tapsoba, technical support officer at the General Directorate of Industrial Development, added that the initial discussions with local authorities had been “satisfactory,” emphasizing their “readiness” to support the process.
Despite the optimism, experts identified a major challenge: the land issue. Mr. Hebi© recalled that, although the state is the ultimate owner of the land, it often faces resistance from customary owners. Nando Regional Director of Industry Siebou Sou confirmed that some of the sites visited are already “fairly colonized” by populations or land applicants. For his part, the regional director of Urban Planning and Housing, Yacouba Belem, explained that these occupations result either from spontaneous initiatives or from requests for land submitted by people wishing to carry out industrial activities.
The effective mobilization of land, which will come after the prospecting phase, will require “consultations with landowners and all stakeholders,” Mr. Tapsoba stressed. It will involve “demarcating, discussing with landowners, getting them involved, then mobilizing and developing,” Mr. Siebou said. These crucial steps will make it possible to operationalize the project and welcome investors, who are showing growing interest in Burkina Faso, according to Mr. Tapsoba.
Once the areas have been developed, their management will be entrusted to the regional directorates, which will be “heavily involved” in this process, concluded Mr. Siebou. The path to reindustrialization in Koudougou is fraught with obstacles, but the political will and mobilization of local stakeholders appear solid. The prospecting mission is an essential first step in reviving the city and offering new prospects for economic development and employment for young people in the region. The challenge now is to find a balance between the State’s ambitions and the customary rights of the local populations so that this project can come to fruition and restore Koudougou to its former dynamism.