• Tunisia proposes Smart City tech hub project in Burkina Faso
• Feasibility study planned to assess infrastructure, funding needs
• Project aims to boost startups, jobs, and digital services

Burkina Faso’s Minister for Digital Transition and Communications, Aminata Zerbo/Sabane, met in Ouagadougou on Thursday, October 9, with a Tunisian delegation. The delegation, from the organization TUCAD and led by co-founder Anis Jaziri, presented a proposal for a Smart City project in the country.

The initiative centers on creating a digital technology hub that would draw on Tunisian expertise to support local startups, incubators, and accelerators.

“Tunisia already has extensive experience and a dynamic ecosystem for supporting startups, incubators, and accelerators. We aim to share this expertise with Burkina Faso,” Jaziri said. “We hope the project will move forward soon so we can help finance and implement it,” he added, stressing the importance of technical cooperation and partnership.

Both sides agreed that their technical teams would carry out an in-depth feasibility study covering technical needs, infrastructure requirements, financing options, and operational support mechanisms.

The proposal comes amid rapid urbanization and the growth of digital technologies across Africa. An increasing number of countries are adopting Smart City models to address challenges in mobility, energy, and urban management. These initiatives combine digital infrastructure, improved public-service management, data platforms, and local innovation to enhance quality of life and promote sustainable cities.

According to data from the German business-intelligence platform Statista, Africa’s Smart City market is expected to generate $1.5 billion in revenue by 2025 and reach $2.36 billion by 2030, an average annual growth rate of 12%. Such projects often rely on digital tools to improve mobility, waste management, public safety, and connectivity.

If implemented, the TUCAD Smart City project could accelerate Burkina Faso’s ongoing digital transformation. It would create technology jobs, boost private-sector competitiveness, and improve access to digital public services, while strengthening infrastructure such as fiber-optic networks and data centers. The project could also serve as a model for sustainable digital urban development in other Burkinabè cities.

Samira Njoya