The first edition of the Semaine de l’Énergie, des Mines et des Hydrocarbures de l’Alliance des États du Sahel (SEMH-AES) was held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on September 16, 2026. The event saw Niger's creative talents shine, with two Nigerians, Adamou Boubacar Rachida and Kandine Aborak, winning the second and third prizes in the international logo and slogan design contest.
The SEMH-AES event aims to promote innovation, encourage experience sharing, and strengthen cooperation among AES member countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The event focuses on energy, mining, and hydrocarbons, which are considered strategic sectors for the development of these countries. The contest's objective was to create a visual identity that reflects the values of solidarity, integration, cooperation, sovereignty, and natural resource valorization.
In the logo and slogan design contest, the first prize went to Burkinabè Issa Ouédraogo, with a cash prize of 1.5 million FCFA. Adamou Boubacar Rachida won the second prize of 1 million FCFA, while Kandine Aborak took the third prize of 500,000 FCFA. Each laureate also received a trophy. The contest attracted participants from various backgrounds, including artists and designers.
Kandine Aborak, an engineer in electricity and head of the Electricity Department at Niger's Energy Sector Regulatory Authority (ARSE), participated in the contest as part of his professional activities. He was in Ouagadougou as a panelist for discussions on energy sector regulation in the AES space. Aborak's win is special, as he had previously worked in audiovisual production and had a passion for creative design.
Niger's participation in the event went beyond the logo and slogan contest. In the energy and hydrocarbons innovation contest, 228 applications were received from 12 countries and three continents. Twenty projects were shortlisted and audited via videoconference. Although no project met the required conditions for a prize, three initiatives received encouragement certificates, including one from Niger's Oumarou Adamou for his multifunctional platform project on pastoral wells.
The SEMH-AES jury provided recommendations for future competitions, including strengthening project maturity criteria, prioritizing innovations with existing prototypes, and improving documentation of results and usage feedback. The jury also suggested launching project calls earlier and providing technical, financial, or incubation support mechanisms.
The event was attended by several government officials from AES member countries, including Burkina Faso's Minister of Energy, Mines, and Carriers, Yacouba Zabré Gouba, Mali's Minister of Mines, Pr Amadou Keïta, and Niger's Minister of Petroleum, Hamadou Tini. The SEMH-AES event demonstrated the importance of collaboration and innovation in the energy, mining, and hydrocarbons sectors for the development of AES member countries.
Key points
- Two Nigerians, Adamou Boubacar Rachida and Kandine Aborak, won prizes in the logo and slogan design contest at the SEMH-AES event in Ouagadougou.
- The SEMH-AES event aims to promote innovation, experience sharing, and cooperation among AES member countries in the energy, mining, and hydrocarbons sectors.
- Niger's Oumarou Adamou received an encouragement certificate for his multifunctional platform project on pastoral wells in the energy and hydrocarbons innovation contest.
