Tenkodogo: The Place de la Nation in Tenkodogo was vibrant on Friday, October 24, 2025, during the official opening ceremony of the 5th edition of the Nakambe Regional Crafts Fair (SARA). This edition, under the high patronage of Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, is held under the theme: “Burkinabe crafts and industrialization: what contribution to national sovereignty?”
According to Burkina Information Agency, the event honors the men and women who, through their creativity and expertise, contribute to the influence of Burkinabe crafts. The opening ceremony of SARA 2025 brought together several members of the Government, administrative, customary and religious authorities, economic operators as well as a large number of artisans from various localities across the country.
In his speech, the Prime Minister praised the contribution of the crafts sector to Burkina Faso’s economic and social development. “The crafts sector contributes approximately 30% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It employs nearly two million people and remains a reliable source of income,” he said.
The Head of Government recalled that, despite security, economic, and climatic challenges, the craft and industrial sectors continue to support the national economy thanks to the ingenuity and resilience of the Burkinabe population. Based on this observation, the Government has taken measures, including the introduction of quotas for the removal of imports of products already manufactured locally. These measures aim to facilitate the sale of national production, strengthen the competitiveness of craft and industrial units, and reverse the trade balance in favor of Burkina Faso.
For the Prime Minister, the craft-industry nexus represents an opportunity to be seized. “It is by consolidating this link between the two sectors that we will be able to build a sovereign economy, based on the local transformation of our resources and the promotion of national know-how,” he affirmed, inviting stakeholders to make SARA 2025 a framework for exchanges and proposals to strengthen the complementarity between crafts and industry.
The Head of Government also discussed ongoing actions to train artisans, label their products, and improve exhibition and marketing infrastructure, in order to position Burkinabe crafts as a driving force of economic sovereignty.
Given the context, SARA 2025 has incorporated a solidarity component into its program. To set the tone, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Crafts, Serge Gnaniodem Poda, distributed food to internally displaced persons (IDPs), illustrating the social dimension of the fair.
SARA aims to promote local products, enhance cultural heritage, and stimulate the regional economy. It also prepares artisans to participate in major national and international events such as the Ouagadougou International Crafts Fair (SIAO). A bridge between tradition and modernity, the Fair stands out as a platform uniting crafts and industry, serving national sovereignty built on the values of hard work, creativity, and resilience.