• Burkina Faso secures €187.8M IsDB loan for road projects
• 187.8 km of roads to be rehabilitated, key trade routes improved
• Projects aim to cut transport costs, boost security, aid exports

Burkina Faso's government has approved a loan of 187.83 million euros ($220 million) from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for a series of road projects, according to a cabinet meeting communique released this week.

The loan, supplemented by a national contribution of 25.81 million euros (140.1 billion CFA francs), will be used to rehabilitate critical road sections to improve the national supply chain and facilitate regional trade.

According to the government's information service, the work will include "the rehabilitation of 187.8 km of roads, the partial funding for the construction and paving of the Koudougou-Yako section of National Road 13, as well as the acquisition of five road work brigades with two locally-made asphalt plants." The infrastructure is expected to serve populations in the regions of Tannounyan, Nakambé, Nando, Nazinon, Oubri, Yaadga, and Djôrô.

Authorities say the projects will reduce transport costs and times, while also improving access to port markets and key agricultural and mining production zones. As a landlocked country, Burkina Faso is seeking to optimize its logistics network, which is the primary channel for its imports and exports.

The government also stated that the projects would have significant security benefits in regions affected by terrorism, in addition to positive impacts on several other sectors of the national economy.

Henoc Dossa