GLF R. Seydou Ouédraogo invited to International Visitor Leadership Program

Global Leaders Fellow Dr R. Seydou Ouédraogo has been invited to join France’s International Visitor Leadership Program. This highly prestigious program selects young prominent personalities (25 to 40 years of age) from all over the world, with a focus on elected officials or politicians, top officials, academics, or representatives from civil society who have a growing influence on their country’s affairs. Over the course of a week (5-12 July), Dr Ouédraogo had meetings with France’s top officials including at the Elysée (France Presidency), at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the Ministry of Finance, and at some public financial institutions (Agence Française de Développement, Tresor Public and Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations). He had also meetings with private sector organizations like MEDEF International and top academics at Sciences Po Paris and Paris Nanterre.

Dr Ouédraogo is currently Executive Director of the growing think thank Institut Thank FREE Afrik based at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. In France, he had the opportunity to share his views on the political and economic situation of Burkina Faso and discussed about the relationship between France and his country. A large part of the meetings focused on his research on the decline of European banks in Africa and the emergence of Pan African banks.

During the political Transition (2014-2015), which started after the resignation of President Compaoré by a popular uprising, Dr Ouédraogo has played an important role including monitoring and editing the Transition Chart, lobbying for legislation in the mining sector in favour of local communities and legislation against corruption. He was the editor (Rapporteur Général) of the brilliant report of the Commission of Reform and Reconciliation.