Part Five: Development
Before Captain Ibrahim Traoré, roughly 8% of the population and foreigners lived lavishly in mansions, drove luxury cars, and partied overseas, while the majority struggled in poverty.
Corruption and exploitation left most without electricity, water, healthcare, education, or security.
This changed rapidly under Captain Traoré’s leadership.
Infrastructure:
- Highways, roads, and railways were expanded.
- "Dudo" road construction (sandbag-based) provided sturdy temporary rural roads.
- A new organization aims to build 3,000–5,000 km of roads yearly, with 900+ tractors/excavators.
- Rail systems were refurbished and expanded to neighbouring countries.
- Air transport was revamped, with a new airport and locally refurbished aircraft.
Electricity and Water:
- Solar power and wells were introduced.
- A dam was built, with plans for nuclear and oil/gas power.
Healthcare:
- Hospitals were modernized, and 250 new ones are planned.
- Mobile clinics serve rural areas and soldiers.
- A universal health insurance system was introduced—a global first for a "poor" nation.
Housing:
- 50,000 homes are being built and given free to citizens.
Industrialization:
- Raw material exports were banned; local processing prioritized.
- A gold refinery and tomato factory succeeded despite Western mockery.
- Flour mills, detergent factories, butter factories, and cement plants were established.
- Local cement was mandated for government projects, defying foreign price-slashing attempts.
Cotton:
- A second cotton factory was built, and imports of foreign textiles were banned.
- Government uniforms must now use local cloth.
Electric Cars:
- Burkina Faso produced an advanced electric car, shocking global manufacturers.
Debt and Investments:
- Debt was fully repaid without IMF loans, using public bonds.
- An oil refinery in a neighbouring country was purchased for long-term profits.
- A port partnership with China and Togo boosted trade.
Media and Currency:
- A Sahel-wide media network replaced French-controlled platforms.
- The CFA franc was replaced with a gold-backed currency.
- New passports were introduced for Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
© Vijaya Ratnam
No comments:
Post a Comment