Burkina Faso: President Ibrahim Traoré Expresses commitment to support Cotton Industry Stakeholders

On Friday, January 26, 2024, President Ibrahim Traoré presided over the opening ceremony of the third edition of the International Cotton and Textile Fair (SICOT) in Koudougou. The event provided him with an opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to supporting stakeholders in the cotton sector.

The current edition revolves around the theme «Local Cotton Transformation: What Models of Industrialization for Africa within the Framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)? »

According to Ibrahim Traoré, the theme is justified for several reasons. Despite the efforts made by various African states to support the cotton sector, most producing countries still face challenges in local processing and value addition to derived products.

The president stated that this meeting would propose innovative mechanisms for integrating businesses into the cotton value chain and analyzing the competitiveness of their products within the implementation of the AfCFTA.

The goal is to assist stakeholders in the transformation, valorization, and local consumption of cotton.

The Burkinabe head of state emphasized that SICOT serves as an international platform for exchanges and discussions on the future of the cotton-textile sector.

He urged that relevant recommendations emerge from the discussions to provide appropriate responses to the concerns of stakeholders.

This edition includes roundtable discussions and panels on topics such as the textile project market, the contribution of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to national AfCFTA strategies, and the challenges of production and transformation of organic cotton.

The SICOT event concludes on Saturday, January 27, 2024.

Togo is the guest of honor for this third edition of the International Cotton and Textile Fair in Koudougou.

Cedric KABORE