Ouagadougou hosts tribute to Professor Idrissa Ouédraogo
Academics from Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Canada will join Burkinabe scholars to discuss informal sector development.
Universities Thomas-Sankara and Aube-Nouvelle, along with the Centre for Economic Integration Studies in Africa, are hosting an international conference in Ouagadougou from October 29-31, 2026, to honor Professor Idrissa Mohamed Ouédraogo. The event celebrates his career, which includes supervising 47 doctoral theses and training hundreds of professionals now working in public administration, banking, insurance, and regional organizations. The conference theme is 'Informal Sector and Development in Africa: Theoretical Issues and Action Perspectives'.
The gathering, under the patronage of Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo and sponsored by Minister Mathias Traoré and Isidore Kini, aims to recognize Professor Ouédraogo's over three decades of dedication to research and teaching. Researchers and practitioners from Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Canada will present scientific communications on topics such as formalizing the informal sector, mobile money's impact on poverty, and the effect of foreign aid on African economies.
The conference also features discussions on public borrowing and informal sector credit access within the UEMOA region. Professor Didier Zoungrana, president of Thomas-Sankara University, praised the initiative to honor Ouédraogo's contributions to human capital development and knowledge transmission. The organizing committee president, Professor Mahamadou Diarra, described the event as a way for students to repay their master's debt through scientific debate.
Why it mattersThe conference honors Professor Idrissa Ouédraogo's extensive academic work and contributions to training professionals in Burkina Faso and beyond.