The government of Burkina Faso has announced plans to recruit 200,000 volunteer national reservists (VNRs) every year for the next five years. The first call for applications is set for September 25, 2026. This initiative aims to create a pool of one million citizens who can be trained and mobilized to support public authorities in different situations. The program was announced on September 18 in Ouagadougou by Djourmité Nestor Noufé, director general of the Public Interest Grouping- National Volunteering Program in Burkina Faso (GIP-PNVB).
The VNRs will be deployed in various areas, including emergency response, natural disasters, and humanitarian crises. Their role will also cover hygiene, sanitation, environmental protection, and social cohesion. Additionally, they will participate in operations to facilitate the redeployment of public services in recaptured areas. According to the GIP-PNVB, these volunteers will not replace defense and security forces or healthcare professionals. Instead, they will provide citizen support with defined missions based on their skills and community needs.
The GIP-PNVB already has a significant network in place, having mobilized 52,560 VNRs across the country in 2025. The program allocated over 5 billion CFA francs for their recruitment, training, and deployment. In 2026, several operations demonstrate the intended uses of this mobilization, including 15,000 volunteers in the Faso Mêbo operation and 27,000 others for road maintenance and repair using the Do-Nou technique.
The new program seeks to expand this capacity to situations requiring coordinated responses in different regions of the country. This initiative is distinct from the military reserve created this year, which aims to train 100,000 reservists by the end of 2026. The VNRs will focus on civilian and community needs, rather than national defense.
According to Djourmité Nestor Noufé, the goal is to move from occasional mobilization to an organization that can predict available personnel and their intervention based on crises. The program's launch is seen as a call to the country's youth to take on more responsibility and exhibit visionary patriotism.
The registration process for VNRs will begin on September 25, 2026, on a dedicated platform, with recruitment organized according to quotas allocated to each region. This structured approach will enable the authorities to respond quickly to situations where usual means are overwhelmed.
The volunteer reserve program is part of a broader effort to enhance the country's response to emergencies and crises. By building a pool of trained and mobilizable citizens, the government aims to strengthen its capacity to address various challenges and provide support to communities in need.
Key points
- The program aims to create a pool of one million citizens who can be trained and mobilized to support public authorities in different situations.
- The VNRs will focus on civilian and community needs, rather than national defense.
- The registration process for VNRs will begin on September 25, 2026, on a dedicated platform.
