Burkina Faso’s 80 % NGO funding rule: scrutiny, resistance, and what lies ahead
A new funding threshold under Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s government
The Burkinabè government has presented its new NGO regulation as a measure of transparency and efficiency. Adopted on 24 September 2026 under the presidency of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, it requires NGOs to devote at least 80 % of their resources to direct investments in the field.
The principle appears straightforward: reduce administrative expenses so that more money benefits the populations. But this logic deserves to be questioned.
80 %: A figure, not a measure of effectiveness
An NGO does not operate solely with equipment or infrastructure. It must finance accounting, audits, logistics, project monitoring and the training of its teams.
These expenses can be indispensable.
An auditor does not build a health centre, but he can prevent fraud. A logistician does not treat a patient, but he enables the equipment to arrive at its destination.
Reducing these functions to achieve an imposed ratio could therefore weaken control mechanisms.
What does “direct investment” mean?
This is one of the main questions left open by the measure.
The construction of a health centre is easily identifiable. But the salary of the staff working there? Maintenance? Training? Transport of equipment? Monitoring of beneficiaries?
Without a precise definition, the application of the threshold can become complex.
The government must therefore clearly explain what falls within the 80 % and what is excluded.
One rule for different missions
Not all NGOs have the same model.
An organisation that builds schools will naturally have more material expenses. Another, specialised in training, legal assistance or social protection, will invest mainly in human skills.
Applying the same ratio to all therefore risks penalising certain activities without demonstrating that they are less useful.
The risk of an unintended effect
An organisation that cannot reach 80 % could be pushed to artificially modify its budget.
It could reduce control positions or favour expenses easily classifiable as “direct”.
Yet spending more on the ground does not automatically mean obtaining more results.
Effectiveness must be measured by impact: number of beneficiaries, quality of services, cost of interventions, results obtained and sustainability of projects.
Control can be strengthened otherwise
If the objective is truly to protect funding, the government has other means: independent audits, publication of accounts, traceability of funds, project controls and sanctions in case of embezzlement.
These mechanisms verify the actual use of resources.
The 80 % threshold mainly measures their distribution.
A decision that will have to prove itself
The government of Ibrahim Traoré can legitimately ask NGOs for greater transparency. But a percentage guarantees neither good management nor effectiveness.
The real question will therefore be simple: will this rule concretely improve the aid provided to populations or will it force certain organisations to modify their functioning solely to comply with an administrative ratio?
The result will have to be assessed on the facts.
Because in an NGO, an expense that is not visible on the ground can sometimes be precisely the one that guarantees the money arrives there.