WAEMU: Ministerial Meeting in Ouagadougou on Cotton, Fertilizers, and Rice

The Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) will bring together sectoral ministers from its member states on 23 October 2026 in Ouagadougou. The session will take place at the Azalai Hotel in Burkina Faso’s capital to review actions dedicated to three key sectors of regional agriculture and industry.

Priority Sectors Under the IMPACT 2030 Plan

Discussions will focus on the presentation of white papers and regional programs designed for three intervention sectors: cotton-textile, phosphate-fertilizers, and rice. These three sectors form the first group selected in WAEMU’s 2025-2030 strategic plan, named IMPACT 2030. This operational framework directly aligns with the organization’s 2040 Prospective Vision.

Through this ministerial meeting, the regional institution seeks to gather input from sectoral ministers, encourage their ownership of technical documents, and secure their political support for implementing planned activities. Political agreement from member states aims to ensure government buy-in for the collective strategy designed for these regional value chains.

Mobilizing Partners and Technical Timeline

Beyond public authorities’ commitment, the Commission plans to integrate ministers into a coalition of public and private sector stakeholders. The explicit goal of this gathering is to mobilize the necessary financing for deploying investments outlined in the white papers and regional programs.

Ministerial discussions build on prior technical work. Sectoral experts designated by each WAEMU member state will meet from 20 to 22 October 2026 in Ouagadougou for a preparatory session before the ministers’ meeting on 23 October 2026.