• Burkina Faso raises state stake in FASO RAILS to 95%
• Private investor SOAF’s share cut to 5% of planned capital
• Move supports national rail development and logistics modernisation

Burkina Faso revised last week the ownership structure of FASO RAILS, a partially state-owned company, raising the government’s stake to 95% from 75%.

As a result, private investor SOAF (Société Ouest-Africaine de Fonderie) now holds 5%, down from 25%, of the company’s planned capital of 10 billion FCFA ($17.8 million). FASO RAILS was created by decree in 2024.

At the time, authorities said the company would manufacture and install rails and sleepers locally, as well as produce railway spare parts and freight wagons.

The project is part of a broader plan to develop an integrated national rail system with interconnected networks, aimed at shifting transport from road to rail, cutting annual road maintenance costs and improving the movement of people and goods.

It also fits into wider efforts to modernize logistics infrastructure critical to the country’s supply chains. One priority corridor is the Abidjan-Kaya route, which the government plans to upgrade.

Burkina Faso is currently linked to Côte d’Ivoire by a single rail line operated by logistics group AGL, which handles imports from the port of Abidjan. However, the ageing infrastructure is prone to disruptions, with frequent repairs required on some sections.

The state’s takeover of FASO RAILS comes as the efficiency of regional supply corridors increasingly shapes economic competitiveness, particularly for landlocked countries facing structural logistics constraints.

Henoc Dossa