Ouagadougou: Miss Linda Cletchio Gabriella Traore has successfully defended her doctoral thesis in livestock, environment, and sustainable development at Nazi Boni University, enhancing Burkina Faso's expertise in animal production systems.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the research community has welcomed Dr. Linda Cletchio Gabriella Traore, whose thesis was unanimously lauded by the jury with the distinction "Very Honorable". Her research focused on the "Contribution of fodder woody plants to the improvement of the productivity of small ruminants in the northern Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso". This achievement awards her the title of Doctor in Animal Production Systems, specializing in Livestock, Environment, and Sustainable Development.
The thesis aims to boost the production performance and health of small ruminants by integrating trees and shrubs into their diet. The research was conducted in the Nando and Kuilse regions, in collaboration with local communities.
According to the jury president, Dr. Hamidou Traore, Dr. Traore's work identified several tree and shrub species with significant nutritional and medicinal value for sheep and goats. These findings were the result of extensive fieldwork and experiments conducted at INERA centers, Nazi Boni University, the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research, and the University of New Kassel in Germany.
The jury commended the originality and relevance of the thesis, which addresses key concerns for a considerable portion of the Burkinabe population, with livestock farming involving 37 to 56% of households.
Dr. Hadja Oumou Sanou, co-director of the thesis and research director at CNRST, highlighted that Burkina Faso has gained a highly competent professional in livestock farming. The findings from Dr. Traore's work are expected to advance the development of the country's livestock sector.
Dr. Traore, who has authored several presentations and articles on her thesis topic and won the "My Thesis in 180 Seconds" competition in 2024, plans to leverage her expertise for the benefit of Burkina Faso and contribute to achieving food self-sufficiency.