Economic development in fragile areas

A look back at the Rendez-vous de l'Expertise on June 15, 2021

Economic development in fragile areas

Burkina Faso has been facing a security crisis since 2014, which has intensified since the end of 2018. In 2020, these difficulties were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions taken by states, in Burkina Faso as in the rest of the world. Despite security constraints and financing difficulties, young men and women are learning a trade, building their skills and becoming entrepreneurs; businesses are being set up, expanding and prospering.

What is the current state of economic development in fragile zones? What constraints are entrepreneurs facing? What impact has the crisis had on investment, and how is the financial system adapting? What public policies are needed to support and encourage the private sector in these areas? How can the State, decentralized services and local authorities work better together? Are development aid mechanisms appropriate?

This debate, organized by the Agence française de développement group, will bring together representatives of public authorities in Ouagadougou and the regions, entrepreneurs from the private sector and development players, so that they can share their experience of the economy in peripheral areas of the national territory; analyze the constraints, opportunities and actions that are being taken; and share solutions that can be extended or duplicated.