The 18th edition of the Salone International de l'Artisanat de Ouagadougou (SIAO) has officially announced the winners of its awards. A total of 18 juries deliberated to award 42 prizes, consisting of 15 official prizes and 27 special prizes. The prizes were presented during a ceremony held on November 6, 2026, at the SIAO venue. Patricia Badolo, Director-General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burkina Faso, presented the results.
The special prizes include the Excellence in Artisanal Industrialization and Local Product Valorization award from the Fédération Nationale des Artisans du Burkina Faso (FNABF), the Conseil National de l'Économie Informelle (CNEI) special prize, and the Assimi Goïta special prize. The Assimi Goïta prize was awarded to Mamadou Traoré from Mali for his innovative "intelligent waste bin" project. This project enables selective waste sorting and transformation into valuable products.
The official prizes include the Grand Prix du camarade capitaine Ibrahim Traoré, which rewards the top three country stands. The jury's international ranking awarded the third prize to Burkina Faso, which received 1,500,000 F CFA and a certificate. Mali took second place with 2,000,000 F CFA, while Niger won first place with 3,000,000 F CFA. The Creativity Prize, named after Thomas-Sankara, recognized the top three exhibits at the creativity pavilion.
The Creativity Prize winners included Patrice Bazongo, who took third place for his complex cream and soap, and Yam Fashion, which won second place for its "Tenga mocassin" shoe made from leather and Faso Dan Fani. Yempabou Tankoano won first place for his automatic weaving machine. The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Artisanal prize recognized top artisans in textiles, leather, and food processing.
In the textile category, Teninpagba Yonli won the best transformer prize for her 100% cotton FDS woven pagne. Aboubacar Tapsoba took the prize for leather and skin products with his "Souveraineté" ensemble, consisting of a handbag, pouch, and women's slippers. Wend-yam Manadgdo won the best transformer prize in the food processing category for his infant flour.
Patricia Badolo noted that this edition was marked by the exceptional quality of the exhibits presented by the artisans. A total of 58 works from six countries were showcased at the Thomas-Sankara creativity pavilion. Mamadoumé Nkoro Traoré, president of the Malian Permanent Assembly of Chambers of Trades, stated that the SIAO is a source of inspiration and noted significant progress in the respect for creativity criteria.
Guiré Moukayla Moussalina, Niger's director of artisanal investments and international jury member, expressed gratitude to the Burkinabé authorities for their commitment to promoting artisanal development. The SIAO awards ceremony highlighted the importance of artisanal development in the region, with a focus on innovation, creativity, and valorization of local products.
Key points
- The 18th SIAO edition awarded 42 prizes to outstanding artisans, with a total prize pool of 36,050,000 F CFA.
- The Grand Prix du camarade capitaine Ibrahim Traoré was awarded to the top three country stands, with Niger winning first place.
- The Creativity Prize recognized innovative projects, including Yempabou Tankoano's automatic weaving machine.
