Ouagadougou – In a strategic move to address the challenges of youth employment in Burkina Faso, President of the Transition and Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traore, met with the National Council of the Informal Economy of Burkina Faso this Monday morning. The meeting, also attended by the Minister in charge of youth, Boubakar Savadogo, focused on the socio-professional integration of young people in the country’s workforce.

According to Burkina Information New Agency, the discussion centered on creating internship opportunities for young people in informal sector companies. He referenced the Head of State’s January 17 appeal at the Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, where Captain Traore emphasized the need for young people to quickly acquire vocational skills to facilitate their entry into the workforce. “We have many young graduates today who have difficulty entering the world of work; and there are businesses in the informal sector which are willing to receive them,” said Minister Savadogo, highlighting the potential synergy between young graduates and the informal sector.

The initiative, initially targeting 200 young individuals for internship positions, has seen a surge in interest, with over 3,000 requests for internships in informal sector companies now recorded.

Salifou Nikiema, the president of the National Council of the Informal Economy of Burkina Faso, underscored the significance of this initiative for young graduates. He pointed out that it offers an invaluable opportunity for them to gain practical experience in various companies within the informal sector. Nikiema mentioned that President Traore encouraged the National Council for the Informal Economy and called for collaborative efforts among all stakeholders to strengthen the national economy.

This initiative represents a crucial step towards addressing the employment challenges faced by young graduates in Burkina Faso, aligning the needs of the burgeoning youth population with the opportunities available in the informal sector.