Ouagadougou: The Ministry in charge of Communication planted around one hundred seedlings on Saturday in its Balkuy grove, located in Ouagadougou, during a reforestation session that mobilized the department's agents as well as several actors in culture and tourism, in order to contribute to the fight against desertification.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Pingdwind© Gilbert Ou©draogo, stated that this activity is a continuation of the actions undertaken during the previous National Tree Day, during which more than 500 plants were planted on the same site. He indicated that significant investments have been made to ensure the sustainability of the grove, including fencing off the area, drilling a well, and setting up a security system responsible for the maintenance and security of the site.
Mr. Ou©draogo explained that this new campaign aims to replace plants that have not withstood climatic hazards and water stress, in order to sustainably strengthen this plant heritage. The Minister in charge of Communication specified that the species selected this year include mango trees, guava trees, baobabs, and n©r© trees, with a particular emphasis on those which can, in the long term, be used to manufacture musical instruments and contribute to the enhancement of Burkina Faso's cultural heritage. 'We wanted to create a grove that would be useful to our department, favoring species that could be used in the future by our cultural actors for the making of traditional instruments, while also producing fruit,' he explained.
Gilbert Ou©draogo also announced an innovation for this edition: empowering each of the department's directors and structures. Designated areas have been allocated to each service, which will be responsible not only for planting the trees, but also, and more importantly, for their upkeep. 'The most important thing is not just to plant, but also to maintain the trees so that this operation has a real impact on our environment,' he insisted.
Mr. Ou©draogo praised the strong mobilization of the agents, which reflects their commitment to environmental protection, before inviting everyone to continue their efforts to maintain the planted seedlings. Taking the opportunity, the head of the department presented the staff with a baobab tree that he had planted the previous year, highlighting its many benefits for the population as well as its importance for cultural actors.
As a reminder, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, the Burkinabe government celebrated the 8th edition of National Tree Day under the theme: "My concession, my tree".