Ouagadougou: The President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore, through Minister Roland Somda, reaffirmed on Thursday the ambition to build a Burkina Faso "sovereign in spirit and in action", a country that creates, preserves, and transmits its culture, calling on the youth to draw from reading the strength to think, imagine and build.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the President's message was delivered by the Minister in charge of Youth, Roland Somda, during the closing of the 18th edition of the Ouagadougou International Book Fair (FILO), which was held from November 25 to 30 at the National Library. The event was themed "Book, cultural identities and national sovereignty".
Captain Ibrahim Traore emphasized that the theme extends beyond a slogan, representing a path to understanding identity and aspirations. He highlighted the importance of narrating and valuing Burkina Faso's history, languages, myths, and victories, as the future is built not only on arms but also on ideas and knowledge.
The President expressed gratitude to those involved in the literary world, including writers, publishers, booksellers, cultural mediators, artists, teachers, volunteers, and young readers. He acknowledged their commitment, which added a special brilliance to the event, demonstrating that Burkina Faso still values the power of ideas and knowledge.
President Traore also noted the inspiring scenes at FILO, such as children engaged with reading, youth enthusiastically debating, authors sharing dreams, and publishers connecting ideas with readers. He highlighted that sovereignty includes freedom of thought and the power of words, not just land and borders.
To strengthen cultural sovereignty, President Traore outlined several priorities, including increasing national literary production, supporting authors and publishers, and promoting national languages. He announced initiatives to produce more books in local languages and to train informed readers.
He called for a youth that reads to act and engage with the world through books, announcing plans to enhance reading clubs, develop living libraries, and promote inspiring role models. Additionally, he committed to modernizing public libraries into spaces for creativity and digital innovation, and making books more accessible through an improved distribution network and integrating reading into daily life in Burkina Faso.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of awards, and it was announced that the 19th edition of FILO will take place from November 23 to 28, 2027.