Two years of Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso

1. Burkina Faso’s GDP grew from approximately $18.8 billion to $22.1 billion.

2. He rejected loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. He said: “Africa does not need the World Bank, the IMF, Europe or America.”

3. He reduced the salaries of ministers and MPs by 30%, and increased the salaries of civil servants by 50%.

4. He paid off Burkina Faso’s local debts.

5. He founded two tomato processing factories, the first in Burkina Faso.

6. In 2023, he opened a state-of-the-art gold mine to improve local processing capabilities.

7. He stopped the export of unrefined gold from Burkina Faso to Europe.

8. He built a second cotton processing factory in Burkina Faso. Previously, the country had only one.

9. He opened the first National Artisanal Cotton Processing Support Center to help local cotton farmers.

10. He banned the wearing of British legal wigs and gowns in local courts and introduced traditional Burkinabe clothing.

11. He prioritized agriculture by distributing over 400 tractors, 239 tillers, 710 motor pumps and 714 motorcycles to boost production and support rural stakeholders.

12. It provided access to improved seeds and other agricultural inputs to maximize agricultural production.

13. Tomato production in Burkina Faso increased from 315,000 metric tons in 2022 to 360,000 metric tons in 2024.

14. Millet production increased from 907,000 metric tons in 2022 to 1.1 million metric tons in 2024.

15. Rice production increased from 280,000 metric tons in 2022 to 326,000 metric tons in 2024.

16. He banned French military operations in Burkina Faso.

17. He banned French media in Burkina Faso.

18. He expelled French troops from Burkina Faso.

19. His government is building new roads, widening existing ones, and upgrading dirt roads to paved surfaces.

20. He is building a new airport, Ouagadougou-Donsin Airport, which is expected to be completed in 2025 with a capacity for 1 million passengers per year.