BOBO-DIOULASSO—The Burkina Faso Business House (MEBF) organized an information and awareness workshop on Friday, July 26, 2024, in Bobo-Dioulasso to introduce local entrepreneurs to the new Entrepreneurship, Skills Development, and Technological Adoption Support Project (ECOTEC). The workshop focused on strengthening the capacities of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Hauts-Bassins region and promoting the adoption of new technologies.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the ECOTEC project, launched on May 29, 2023, by the Burkina Faso government and the World Bank, aims to promote entrepreneurship among young people and women, particularly in vulnerable regions. The project has a total budget of 25 billion CFA francs, with 16 billion CFA francs contributed by the World Bank and 9 billion CFA francs by the private sector.
At the workshop’s opening, Issiaka Segda, representing the governor of Hauts-Bassins, emphasized the importance of the ECOTEC project as a tool to help lift the region’s population out of poverty. Segda highlighted that the project aims to engage 1,750 entrepreneurs and companies, leveraging private sector contributions of 9 billion CFA francs. “Knowing the self-sacrifice of Burkinabe promoters and the dynamism of the MEBF, I have no doubt that the ECOTEC project will contribute to the structural transformation of the economy in all target areas,” Segda stated.
Karim Ouattara, the national coordinator of the ECOTEC project and director-general of MEBF, explained that the project is designed to address the challenges MSMEs face, including financial fragility and vulnerability to economic shifts. ECOTEC aims to improve MSMEs’ access to financing, technology, and a skilled workforce. The project includes four components, one of which focuses on increasing financial resources for the private sector.
Seydou Traoré, vice-president of the regional consular directorate of the chamber of commerce, praised the ECOTEC project for its potential to strengthen MSMEs’ capacities and financial resilience. He encouraged business promoters and project leaders to seize this opportunity to enhance their operations and competitiveness.