Ouagadougou: A mission from the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) presented the Abdoulaye Fadiga Prize (PAF) for the promotion of economic research, 2026 edition, on Wednesday at the Thomas Sankara University (UTS) of Ouagadougou, with a view to encouraging applications from Burkinabe researchers.
According to Burkina Information Agency, this information session aimed to bring the institution closer to the academic world, particularly to young researchers in economics. "This meeting was an exceptional opportunity to share information about the prize directly with the academic world," said Epiphane Serge Metognon, Deputy Director of Research and Partnerships at BCEAO, stressing the importance of researchers taking better ownership of this initiative.
The immersion at Thomas Sankara University also allowed the delegation to provide detailed information on the modalities of participation, while addressing the concerns of teachers, doctoral students and students who took part in the face-to-face and online exchanges. Mr. Metognon also urged university authorities to widely disseminate the call for applications in order to generate enthusiasm within the national scientific community. His objective is to encourage Burkinabe researchers to participate in this sub-regional competition.
For the head of the research department of the BCEAO, Yao Dossa Tadenyo, the Abdoulaye Fadiga Prize constitutes an important lever to stimulate economic research in the countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). "The PAF aims to promote research on major themes for the economies of the WAEMU," he explained, adding that it helps to create emulation and strengthen the quality of scientific output.
Prize winner Mr. Dossa urged young researchers to seize this opportunity to win this prestigious award. He explained that, beyond the recognition, the prize offers several advantages to winners, including support for publishing their work, increased visibility, and career opportunities. "The PAF offers researchers a platform for expression and a real impact in the economic debate," he explained.
The president of Thomas Sankara University, Professor Palm Zaonongho, welcomed the BCEAO's initiative to present the prize directly to academic stakeholders. He urged researchers to produce high-quality work to maximize their chances of winning the prize.
Launched in homage to Abdoulaye Fadiga, the first African governor of the BCEAO, the Abdoulaye Fadiga Prize consists of a 10 million CFA franc award. It also offers the winner a one-year paid research stay within the institution as well as the publication of the winning study in the Revue economique et monetaire (REM).
The competition is open to any researcher or research team from the eight member countries of the UEMOA, aged 45 years or younger on December 31, 2026 and holding at least a BAC+5 level diploma in economics or related disciplines. Applications, consisting of a summary of a scientific article of no more than 500 words written in French, English or Portuguese, are expected no later than August 31, 2026.