Agricultural Finance Takes Center Stage at Burkina Faso’s 5th Financial Inclusion Day
OUAGADOUGOU – The 5th Financial Inclusion Day opened on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, focusing on the critical question: “What financing mechanisms can promote access to financial services for actors in the agricultural sector?”
Organized by the Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions (APBEF-B), the Professional Association of Insurance Companies (APSAB), and the Professional Association of Decentralized Financial Systems (APSFD), the event aims to address the significant underfunding of agriculture, a cornerstone of the national economy.
Despite agriculture employing 63% of the active population and contributing 30% to the nation’s GDP, it received a mere 2% of bank credits in 2024. While microfinance institutions dedicate a larger share—about 12% of their portfolio—organizers emphasized this remains insufficient for the sector’s vast needs.
“The objective of this day is to examine why financing for the agricultural sector has not increased more intensively,” said Rasmata Djibo, Vice-President of APBEF-B. “There is a clear paradox: this sector is the bedrock of our economy, yet it is starved of formal financial support. We must identify the blocking elements and outline a new guideline to increase funding.”
She reaffirmed the event’s role as a contribution to achieving financial inclusion goals in Burkina Faso and encouraged all present institutions to strengthen their collaboration.
The government echoed this commitment. Saïdou Diallo, representing the Minister of Economy and Finance, stated, “The government will remain attentive and will implement the most relevant solutions proposed. We will continue dialogue and reform to remove regulatory obstacles and create a more favorable environment for rural banking.”
The day’s agenda featured exchanges between financial institutions, public actors, and agricultural organizations to pinpoint financing obstacles and propose concrete solutions. Discussions centered on existing mechanisms, field experiences, perceived risks, and potential financial innovations.
Seydou Yaméogo, President of APSFD-BF, highlighted the progress already made by microfinance but stressed the need to do more. “Our country’s economy relies on agriculture,” he noted. “We must go beyond our current efforts.”
From the insurance sector, Patrick Paré, Executive Director of APSAB, reported that insurance solutions for producers have been gradually implemented over the past five years. He called for strengthened synergy among all financial system actors to provide more solid support and help revitalize the agricultural economy.
Hanifa Koussoubé
Lefaso.net