Ouagadougou: The Minister in charge of Culture, Pingdwend© Gilbert Ou©draogo, on Wednesday welcomed the cleanup operation initiated by the Association of Friends of the Museum, called "15 days to change my National Museum", aimed at cleaning up the premises and their surroundings. The head of the Department of Culture made a field visit on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, to the National Museum of Ouagadougou, in order to observe and commend this citizen initiative.
According to Burkina Information Agency, on site, Minister Ou©draogo discovered volunteers equipped with brooms, machetes, shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows, mobilized to clean the site. He also took part in the activities, contributing to mural painting and cleaning. This field trip is part of the Days of Patriotic Commitment and Citizen Participation, in the lead-up to Burkina Faso Heritage Month.
Pingdwend© Gilbert Ou©draogo recalled that the National Museum is among the emblematic sites of Ouagadougou, welcoming thousands of visitors each year. He indicated that the recent visit of the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traor©, as well as the efforts made by the government to improve the attractiveness of the site, have made it possible to reach an attendance of around 100,000 visitors in 2025.
'We have collectively become aware of the need to offer a healthy and attractive environment, conducive to the expression of cultural actors. That is why we must fully commit ourselves on the ground to ensure the success of this initiative,' the minister stated. He expressed his gratitude to all partners, particularly the Faso Mªbo Agency for its crucial support. He also commended the commitment of the Friends of the Museum Association, the donors of cleaning and painting supplies, and all those involved in ensuring the success of the project.
The Minister in charge of Culture also visited the iron extraction furnaces designed by KPG, as part of the preparations for May 15, and was pleased with the progress of the work. The president of the Friends of the Museum Association, Sayouba Sawadogo, expressed his gratitude for the authorities' presence at this cleanup operation. According to him, the minister's visit demonstrates the ongoing commitment to promoting the national cultural heritage.
"The National Museum remains a living symbol of our memory, our identity and the richness of our cultural diversity," he said, while stressing that it is in this dynamic that the association initiated the current operation, with the ambition of giving a new face to the site, increasing its vitality and strengthening its attractiveness. The association's president finally expressed his wish that artists, technicians, engineers, craftsmen and citizens would join forces to sustainably transform the site through actions such as artistic embellishment, sanitation, infrastructure rehabilitation, increased security, improved lighting and reorganization of inter-building pathways.