Ministers from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have renewed efforts to accelerate economic integration within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), as the three countries seek to boost trade and industrial development despite persistently low levels of commerce among them.
Ministers responsible for industry, trade and the private sector met in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, on Monday for the fourth ministerial meeting of the Confederation of Sahel States, focusing on plans to establish a more integrated common market.
The meeting, attended by delegations from the three member states, was opened by Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister, Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, following two days of preparatory discussions by technical experts.
Mali’s delegation was led by Industry and Trade Minister Moussa Alassane Diallo and included representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mali, the National Council of Employers of Mali, the Malian Agricultural Products Office and the country’s investment promotion agency.
Their participation highlighted the growing role that authorities want the private sector to play in the confederation’s economic integration agenda.
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Discussions centred on strengthening local industrial production, easing trade among member states, tackling unfair competition and building a viable common market capable of supporting long-term economic growth.
The three governments also examined ways to harmonise regulations and improve trade corridors across the landlocked region, where transportation and logistics costs remain among the highest barriers to commerce.
Despite a combined population of more than 77 million people, economic exchanges among the three countries remain limited.
Data presented during the meeting showed that Burkina Faso’s exports to Mali and Niger amounted to 15.9 billion CFA francs ($27 million) in the second quarter of 2025, representing a modest 1.5 percent increase from the previous quarter.
The figure remains small compared with Burkina Faso’s total exports of 1.55 trillion CFA francs (about US$2.6 billion) during the same period, underscoring the limited level of trade integration within the bloc.
The three economies also continue to depend heavily on exports of raw materials and imports of manufactured goods.
In 2024, Burkina Faso exported goods worth $5.6 billion while importing $6.4 billion. Mali recorded exports of US$5.7 billion and imports of $6.4 billion in 2023.
Niger, meanwhile, remains constrained by persistent security challenges and logistical difficulties that have limited trade flows and increased dependence on a narrow range of export commodities and transport routes.
The Confederation of Sahel States has already taken steps toward deeper economic cooperation. In March 2025, it introduced a 0.5 percent confederal levy on imports originating from non-member countries.
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The levy serves as a common financial instrument designed to fund the institutions, programmes and development projects of the confederation.
For the governments in Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey, however, officials acknowledge that the success of the common market will depend on more than policy declarations.
Analysts say the bloc will need to improve transport infrastructure, secure trade corridors, lower logistics costs and support local enterprises if it hopes to significantly increase trade among member states.
The development of domestic processing industries to add value to raw materials is also viewed as critical to reducing external dependence and strengthening economic resilience across the region.
The latest meeting reflects the determination of the three military-led governments to advance economic cooperation as they pursue greater regional self-reliance under the AES framework.
