Askadar Housmane Sanou was appointed on March 2 as the Director General of the Caisse des dépôts et d’investissements du Burkina Faso (CDI-BF), succeeding Balibié Serge Auguste Bayala, who has moved to lead the Confederation Bank for Investment and Development of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Sanou, an economist by training, emphasized that his mandate would build on previous initiatives while reinforcing CDI-BF’s role in financing Burkina Faso’s national economy. Established in 2023 under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, CDI-BF mobilizes long-term resources from domestic savings, public-sector placements, and partnerships with financial institutions. The fund channels investments into key sectors such as energy, education, health care, digital infrastructure, and transportation, while also taking equity stakes and supporting corporate restructuring.
Since beginning operations in 2024, CDI-BF has strengthened the capital of the Agricultural Bank of Faso, participated in the creation of Faso-Ré to mobilize domestic savings, and acquired Propharm SA to boost local drug production. The fund also launched feasibility studies for a comprehensive housing program and reported a net profit of CFA916 million (about $1.6 million) for its first fiscal year.
Looking ahead to 2025–2030, CDI-BF under Sanou’s leadership plans to deepen project financing and support Burkina Faso’s structural economic transformation, positioning the fund as a central pillar in the country’s development finance architecture.
