In Burkina Faso, the 16th edition of the International Crafts Fair of Ouagadougou (SIAO) opened its doors this Friday, January 27, in the presence of the President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. “African craftsmanship, lever of development and factor of resilience of populations”, this is the theme of the new edition which welcomes around twenty countries including Senegal, Benin, Iran, Pakistan, Madagascar, Mali or Morocco. .
After a postponement for security reasons, thousands of visitors are expected at this 16th edition. According to Serge Poda, Burkinabè Minister of Commerce, crafts represent 5 to 30% of the gross domestic product of African countries. And the holding of this show shows that Burkina Faso is a resilient country.
” Both Burkina and its partner countries have made enormous efforts to ensure that this 16th edition is held in the best safety and health conditions, insists Serge Poda. I would like, on behalf of the President of the Transition, to address my warmest and most sincere thanks to all the delegations from Africa and elsewhere. They show that Burkina Faso is indeed a brother country, frequentable, contrary to what some opinions try to distill…”
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Sponsor of this edition, Ousmane Bougouma, President of the Transitional Assembly, urges African craftsmen to be more creative, in order to be competitive on an international scale. ” In addition to being a major provider of employment, the craft industry is a sector that demonstrates resilience and supports economies, especially in times of crisis, welcomes Ousmane Bougouma. I hope that this 16th edition of the SIAO will be fruitful and that it will offer everyone excellent business opportunities. “.
The opening ceremony was marked by the absence of an official representative of Côte d’Ivoire, guest of honor country.