Jeddah, KSA, 18.02.2015 –, An agreement providing for a US$ 14 million financing from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to support higher education in Burkina Faso was signed at the IDB Headquarters between HE Jean Gustave SANON (Minister of Economy and Finance and IDB Governor for Burkina Faso) and Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali (IDB President).

The financing is expected to contribute to phase II of the expansion of Students’ Hostels at the University of Bobo-Dioulasso Project. Bobo-Dioulasso is Burkina Faso’s second largest city located 350 kilometers south-west of the capital, Ouagadougou. In 2009, IDB had provided US $10 million financing for the first phase of the project.

At the meeting, the Minister spoke of the transition taking place in his country and underlined that preparations for presidential and legislative elections would not affect the priority to the timely implementation of the planned development projects. He stressed the desire of his country’s private sector to benefit from the services provided by the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), IDB’s private sector development arm. The Minister lauded the existing strong
relations between the IDB Group and Burkina Faso stressing keenness to continue this partnership.

The IDB Group Chairman, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, while expressing pleasure over the ongoing relations between Burkina Faso and the IDB Group, hoped that the ministerial visit would advance cooperation between the two sides. He emphasized the readiness of the IDB Group to support the country through its affiliates including the International Islamic Trade Financing Corporation (ITFC), the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), the Islamic Corporation for the
Development of the Private Sector (ICD) as well as the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI).

Since 1978 when Burkina Faso joined IDB, the Group has approved nearly US $1.2 billion towards financing various projects comprising agriculture, education, power generation, health, industry, mines, roads and water supply as well as foreign trade operations.