• Burkina Faso approves $109.4 million digital transition budget for 2026

• Funds target fiber expansion, internet access and public service digitization

• Investment doubles 2025 budget despite weak e-government and internet rankings

Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications has allocated 61 billion CFA francs (about 109.4 million dollars) for 2026. The budget was approved during the second ordinary session of the Ministerial Sector Administrative Council held on Monday, December 29.

The Annual Work Plan covers 156 activities, including the deployment of 270 km of optical fiber, the extension of mobile and broadband internet coverage to 750 identified white zones, the commissioning of mini data centers, the digitization of 100 administrative procedures, the construction of so-called “citizen houses,” and the strengthening of digital legislation.

The 61-billion-franc allocation is nearly double the 30.4 billion CFA francs budgeted in 2025. Last year’s results included the rollout of the CIM and CIMEX platforms across several public institutions, the issuance of 338 IT accreditations, the expansion of the national fiber-optic network to more than 11,292 km, and the connection of 88 additional buildings to the RESINA network.

Other achievements included the acquisition of five data centers, digital skills training for 169 young girls, the recruitment and training of 214 IT specialists, and the launch of “Zama tchéy” citizen houses aimed at bringing postal services closer to local communities.

The budget increase aligns with the government’s ambition to position the country as a regional leader in the use of information and communication technologies across public administration, education, health, commerce and agriculture. Authorities see digitalization as a key driver of socio-economic development and have identified 12 priority projects to support this strategy by 2030.

Despite these efforts, the country ranks 175th out of 193 in the United Nations E-Government Development Index, with a score of 0.2895 out of 1. This is well below the averages for West Africa (0.3957), Africa (0.4247) and the global benchmark (0.6382).

In cybersecurity, Burkina Faso is ranked in the third tier out of five under the International Telecommunication Union’s Global Cybersecurity Index. The country scores relatively well on governance, legal frameworks and international cooperation, but remains weaker in technical measures and capacity building.

Telecom data for 2024 show mobile voice coverage at 85%, compared with 64% for 3G internet and 46% for 4G. Nationwide, 1,700 white zones have been identified. Of these, 183 were covered in 2022 and 138 in 2024, with a further 750 scheduled for coverage in 2025. According to ITU figures, internet penetration stood at 17% in 2023, compared with 55.9% for mobile telephony.

Isaac K. Kassouwi