Ouagadougou: an avenue dedicated to Djoby Fran§ois Bassolet, the first Director General of the Voltaic Press Agency, now known as AIB
The municipality of Ouagadougou paid tribute to the late Djoby Fran§ois Bassolet, the illustrious journalist, first Director General of the Voltaic Press Agency, now AIB, historian and Burkinab¨ cultural figure, this Thursday, through an official naming ceremony of an avenue now bearing his name.
According to Burkina Information Agency, in recognition of his numerous contributions to the country's prestige, the municipality of Ouagadougou has decided to name an avenue after him. The road previously identified as number 53.04, connecting Avenue Mouammar Kadhafi to the west and Avenue Sotigui Kouyate to the east, will now be named "Avenue Djoby Fran§ois Bassolet".
The ceremony took place in the presence of municipal authorities, guests of honor, and members of the Bassolet family. On behalf of the Council of the Special Delegation of the Ouagadougou municipality, the president paid tribute to the memory of a man who left his mark on the history of Burkina Faso through his commitment to journalism, culture, and politics.
The municipal authorities paid tribute to the memory of the illustrious deceased and expressed the wish that this avenue would remain a symbol of the city of Ouagadougou's commitment to culture, creativity, and the promotion of prominent figures in national history.
Born in 1933 in Reo, Djoby Fran§ois Bassolet began his career as a teacher in 1951, working notably in Banfora and Bobo-Dioulasso. He then turned to journalism after training at the Centre de Formation des Journalistes Professionnels (CFJ) in Paris between 1957 and 1962, graduating as a Press and Information Technology Advisor.
Upon returning to his country, he held several positions of responsibility in the national press. From 1966 to 1971, he was the Director of Information and Publication of the Bulletin Quotidien d'Informations (Daily Information Bulletin), the forerunner of the current daily newspaper Sidwaya, and co-founder in 1967 of the weekly Carrefour Africain (African Crossroads).
He will also be the first director of the Voltaic Press Agency, now the Burkina Information Agency (AIB), a position he will hold from 1978 to 1981.
Beyond journalism, Djoby Fran§ois Bassolet distinguished himself in the promotion of African culture. He was one of the pioneers who initiated the Ouagadougou African Film Week in March 1969, which later became the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), now one of the biggest events in African cinema.