Burkinabe leader Captain Ibrahim Traore inaugurated the TEXFORCES-BF industrial textile complex near Bobo-Dioulasso on Wednesday, as the country pushes to process more of its cotton at home and reduce reliance on imported textiles.
Footage shows Traore being welcomed at the site before addressing officials and delegates, then touring the factory and inspecting its machinery and production lines.
“For a long time, even within the sub-region, we have been exporting our raw materials, and we have decided, through this complex, to assert our sovereignty in the textile sector,” Traore said. “We must believe in ourselves; we have to learn to believe in ourselves.”
He said the project showed Burkina Faso could deliver major industrial projects without relying on foreign investors, with the complex financed through domestic resources.
Industrial Development Minister Gnaniodem Poda said the factory would allow uniforms and clothing for the country’s defence and security forces to be produced domestically, according to national standards and specifications.
“Building TEXFORCES in two years was a difficult task. Making TEXFORCES a successful industrial enterprise over the next five, 10 or 30 years will be even more demanding,” said TEXFORCES CEO General Ismael Kiswendsida Souampa Diaouari.
“From today onwards, our responsibility is to ensure the company’s long-term survival […] This means producing well, consistently, at controlled costs, adhering to specifications and maintaining our equipment.”
Unlike plants dependent on imported fabric, TEXFORCES-BF is designed as an integrated complex using locally grown Burkinabe cotton, with production spanning spinning, weaving, dyeing and garment manufacturing.
Authorities say the complex can produce between four and six million uniforms a year, alongside millions of T-shirts and other textile products. Longer-term plans envisage processing up to 50,000 tonnes of cotton and producing 100 million metres of woven fabric annually.
The project was initially expected to create around 600 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect employment opportunities, with authorities now setting much larger employment targets as production expands.
In July, Traore attended the graduation of the 25th class of the Georges Namoano Military Academy, where newly commissioned officers wore ceremonial uniforms incorporating Cencengu, a traditional handwoven Gourmantche fabric from eastern Burkina Faso.
Source: Viory
