The Burkinabé government has set an ambitious goal to create a pool of one million national volunteer reservists within the next five years. This initiative, announced by Djourmité Nestor Noufé, director-general of the Groupement d'intérêt public-Programme national de volontariat au Burkina Faso (GIP-PNVB), aims to strengthen the country's capacity for citizen mobilization in response to emergencies and community development needs. The plan involves recruiting 200,000 volunteers annually.
The national volunteer reservists will be trained to contribute to various areas, including healthcare emergencies, solidarity operations, disaster response, hygiene and sanitation, environmental protection, and community infrastructure maintenance. According to Djourmité Nestor Noufé, these reservists will not replace the defense and security forces, emergency services, healthcare professionals, or other specialists with specific skills. Instead, they will provide support to national and community responses within their assigned missions.
The GIP-PNVB will begin accepting applications for the national volunteer reservist program on September 25, 2026, through a dedicated registration platform. The platform will have a defined quota for each region. Djourmité Nestor Noufé described the national volunteer reservist as a citizen who commits to dedicating part of their time to their country and, after training, can be mobilized when circumstances require it, while respecting the competencies and responsibilities of public services.
In addition to the national volunteer reservist program, the GIP-PNVB is also launching an initiative called "Volontariat senior" (Senior Volunteering), which aims to harness the expertise of retired professionals with over 20 years of experience. This program seeks to create a pool of senior experts who can mentor young professionals and support structures in various development sectors. For its pilot phase, the GIP-PNVB plans to recruit 22 senior volunteers, with seven in entrepreneurship and 15 in healthcare.
The senior volunteers in healthcare will be deployed to Ouagadougou's Saint-Camille Hospital. According to Djourmité Nestor Noufé, the goal is to recruit and mobilize high-level executives who have retired, senior experts, and professionals with over 20 years of experience as senior volunteers to share their expertise and technical skills with the younger generation of professionals in key sectors of national development.
The effective launch of the senior volunteering initiative is scheduled for September 25, 2026. The GIP-PNVB invites active and retired professionals to express their interest and register on the dedicated platform. This initiative aims to establish a link between the experience of seniors and the needs of the younger generation.
The national volunteer reservist program and the senior volunteering initiative are part of the Burkinabé government's efforts to strengthen citizen participation in national development and emergency response. With these programs, the government aims to create a pool of trained, organized, and rapidly mobilizable citizens who can complement existing structures and services.
Key points
- The Burkinabé government aims to recruit one million national volunteer reservists over five years to boost citizen mobilization in emergency situations and community development.
- The national volunteer reservists will be trained to contribute to various areas, including healthcare emergencies, solidarity operations, and community infrastructure maintenance.
- The GIP-PNVB is also launching a senior volunteering initiative to harness the expertise of retired professionals with over 20 years of experience.
