• Burkina Faso launches “SORA” university series filming in Ouagadougou

• 25-episode project explores student life challenges and realities

• Initiative aims to reshape youth narrative amid higher education pressures

Burkina Faso has begun production of a television series set in university dormitories. On Friday, April 17, the minister of higher education launched filming of “SORA” at the headquarters of the National Center for University Affairs (CENOU) in Ouagadougou.

Minister Adjima Thiombiano presided over the ceremony marking the start of a 25-episode series, each lasting 26 minutes. Burkinabe director Hounsounougan Armel is leading the project, which is named after its lead actress.

The production is being developed in collaboration with CENOU. The director said the series will explore “the challenges, hopes, solidarities and realities of the Burkinabe university world.” He aims to produce a technically polished series while expanding its reach beyond national borders without losing its local identity.

CENOU Director General Noël Thiombiano echoed that view, describing the series as “a mirror” that “sheds light on a reality often overlooked, that of thousands of students who, between daily challenges and sacrifices, demonstrate resilience and creativity.”

Minister Thiombiano welcomed the project, praising a script that “tells the story of the university differently, with authenticity and truth.” He added that “cinema is a powerful tool for education and social transformation” and reaffirmed government support through to completion.

The project comes at a time when pressure on the higher education system is increasing. Burkina Faso had 225,902 university students in 2023/2024, or 1,003 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to government data, well below the UNESCO benchmark of 2,000. Infrastructure has struggled to keep pace. CENOU has 7,390 beds across 12 university residences in Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso and Koudougou, down by 723 units in 2024 due to the rehabilitation of the Kossodo residence.

In 2024, the Burkinabe Student and School Federation (FESCIBF) said university residences were “undersized and in a state of advanced deterioration.” Youth unemployment remains high, with 34.5% of graduates out of work.

The government has introduced several measures. In March 2025, the “Les Étudiants nourrissent les étudiants” program was launched in Koudougou to promote agricultural entrepreneurship among graduates. “SORA” is part of a broader effort to reshape the narrative around university youth and expand their prospects.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou