Burkina Faso’s President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has announced plans to recall more than 800 Burkinabè students currently studying Islamic jurisprudence abroad, saying the country’s immediate development needs require greater investment in engineering, science, architecture and other technical disciplines.
Speaking during a meeting with Muslim religious leaders, Traoré expressed concern over what he described as the growing number of young Burkinabè pursuing Sharia studies outside the country while critical sectors at home continue to face shortages of skilled professionals.
According to the President, a recent government review showed that about 855 Burkinabè students are studying in some Arab countries, with many enrolled in programmes focused on Islamic law and jurisprudence.
“We reviewed the latest statistics and found about 855 of our young people studying abroad,” Traoré said. “Our embassies do not even have sufficient information about many of them, yet they are studying Sharia and Islamic jurisprudence.”
He questioned whether such training aligns with Burkina Faso’s current national priorities, stressing that the country urgently requires professionals capable of driving infrastructure, industrial and scientific development.
“At this stage of our nation’s development, we need engineers, architects and scientists,” he said. “That is where our greatest needs lie.”
Traoré disclosed that his administration intends to engage the Saudi Arabian authorities over scholarship programmes that sponsor Burkinabè students for Islamic studies. He argued that while religious education remains important, the government must ensure that foreign scholarships also contribute directly to the country’s development agenda.
“I want to bring these students back,” the President declared. “Those who refuse to return will no longer be considered Burkinabè.”
The military leader also called on religious communities within Burkina Faso to take greater responsibility for training young people locally instead of depending on overseas sponsorship.
“If you, the Muslims, cannot train our young people here, then something is wrong,” he said. “We will find a way to finance religious education ourselves, whether for Muslims, Catholics, Protestants or followers of traditional religions.”
Traoré maintained that state support for religious education should be inclusive and locally driven, rather than allowing financial incentives from abroad to determine the educational choices of young citizens.
“Many people are attracted simply because of the funding,” he said. “They receive the scholarships, leave the country and study programmes that do not respond to our most pressing national needs. I do not want to allow that.”
The President also stressed that loyalty to Burkina Faso should remain above every other affiliation, insisting that national development requires citizens whose commitment to the country is unquestionable.
His remarks reflect the government’s broader push to strengthen local capacity in engineering, technology, architecture, medicine and scientific research as part of efforts to accelerate economic growth and national self-reliance.
