Burkina Faso is exploring deeper digital cooperation with the United States as part of its broader digital transformation agenda. This was a central topic in recent talks between Aminata Zerbo/Sabane, Minister of Digital Transition, and U.S. Ambassador Joann Lockard.
Ambassador Lockard emphasized the potential for U.S. expertise particularly in cybersecurity and data governance to support Burkina Faso’s digital efforts. She expressed confidence in the role American firms could play in advancing key national projects.
2025 plans
Major initiatives planned for 2025 include: Completion of national data centers (currently 70% done), Network expansion to 500 underserved localities, Digitization of public services, nationwide rollout of electronic identification, and Launch of a $150 million Digital Transformation Acceleration Project. While no U.S. companies have been officially named, firms like American Tower, Starlink, Microsoft, Oracle, AWS, Cybastion, and Cisco could be strategic partners in infrastructure, cloud services, and cybersecurity.
The U.S. ranks highly in digital governance (19th in UN’s EGDI with a score of 0.9195) and cybersecurity (top category in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index), while Burkina Faso ranks 175th in EGDI (0.2895) and remains in the third cybersecurity tier, highlighting the need for capacity building.
Talks remain at an early stage with no agreements signed yet. However, the potential for collaboration is significant, and the evolution of discussions will be critical in shaping future U.S. involvement in Burkina Faso’s digital sector.