On October 8, 2026, ECIMOD-BF, a Burkinabè organization, launched the "Burkina Naatilgué" project in Ouagadougou, aiming to support 1,000 young people in creating structured economic activities. The project's goal is to create 1,000 jobs and formalize 1,000 enterprises through the acquisition of the RCCM (Registre du Commerce et du Crédit Mobilier). The project will start with a pilot phase involving 100 young people.
The project, led by Norbert Bangré, also known as "Américain Gando", Director-General of ECIMOD-BF and a certified leather expert, seeks to address one of the main challenges faced by young entrepreneurs: transitioning from informal activities to structured enterprises. Many young people already possess skills or work in various trades but struggle with a lack of training, support, market access, and structuring.
Burkina Naatilgué aims to help these young people transform their skills into viable economic activities that generate income and create jobs. The project's first phase will focus on five trades related to artisanal know-how and the leather sector: professional shoe-making, leather goods manufacturing, upholstery, luxury furniture and vehicle polishing, and shoe repair and polishing.
Through this approach, ECIMOD-BF aims to move beneficiaries from informal apprenticeships to professionalization, enabling them to learn, practice, produce, market their products, and gradually formalize their activities. The project's objective is to demonstrate that Burkina Faso can produce, transform, innovate, and create competitive enterprises.
Beyond training, the project includes support to guide young people toward formalizing their activities. A cooperative, "Coopérative Burkina Naatilgué" (COBNA), will be established after the pilot phase. ECIMOD-BF's goal extends beyond individual enterprise creation, as the project also seeks to foster the development of value chains around various trades.
This will enable young people to produce, transform, market, communicate, or deliver, while promoting collective dynamics among beneficiaries. In the long term, Burkina Naatilgué aims to go beyond the initial 1,000 beneficiaries and contribute to the emergence of a new generation of Burkinabè entrepreneurs capable of creating wealth, developing competitive enterprises, and transmitting their skills.
According to Norbert Bangré, creating employment also means allowing individuals to engage in activities that enable them to live dignified lives and employ others. The project's success will depend on its ability to support young entrepreneurs in overcoming the challenges they face and creating a sustainable impact on the Burkinabè economy.
Key points
- ECIMOD-BF aims to create 1,000 jobs and formalize 1,000 enterprises through the Burkina Naatilgué project.
- The project will focus on five trades related to artisanal know-how and the leather sector.
- A cooperative, "Coopérative Burkina Naatilgué" (COBNA), will be established to support the formalization of enterprises.
