• World Bank assesses progress on PACTDIGITAL and WURI programs
• Midterm review highlights coverage of 750 digital white zones
• 2026 roadmap focuses on networks, data centers, and fiber optic expansion

Burkina Faso’s minister in charge of information and communication technologies, Aminata Zerbo/Sabane, met on Feb. 4 with a World Bank delegation led by Jana Kunicova, sector director for digital development in West and Central Africa.

Discussions focused on the progress of the Digital Transformation Acceleration Project, known as PACTDIGITAL, and WURI, the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion program.

At the project’s midpoint, the World Bank welcomed the progress made. “The sector director welcomed the progress achieved, notably the ongoing coverage of 750 white zones, a strong signal for reducing the country’s digital isolation. To sustain this momentum, solution pathways were identified to accelerate the deployment of PACTDIGITAL by June 2026,” the ministry said.

For 2026, the roadmap presented emphasizes four main levers: network expansion, construction of data hosting centers, creation of access points for digital public services, and strengthening of the fiber optic network.

Through these priorities, the World Bank reaffirmed its role as a key financial and technical partner in Burkina Faso’s digital strategy, at a time when digital infrastructure is increasingly seen as a driver of state modernization and economic development.

Adoni Conrad Quenum