A new funding directive for NGOs in Burkina Faso
The Burkinabè government has unveiled a new regulatory framework for non-governmental organisations, presented as a measure to enhance transparency and effectiveness. Adopted on 24 September 2026 under the chairmanship of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the directive requires NGOs to allocate at least 80% of their resources to direct field investments.
The principle appears straightforward: cut administrative costs so that more money reaches the populations. Yet this logic warrants closer examination.
80%: A figure, not a measure of effectiveness
An NGO does not operate solely with equipment or infrastructure. It must also fund accounting, audits, logistics, project monitoring and staff training.
These expenses can be indispensable.
An auditor does not build a health centre, but can prevent fraud. A logistician does not treat a patient, but ensures that supplies reach their destination.
Reducing these functions to meet 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.
Constructing a health centre is easily identifiable. But what about the salaries of the staff who work there? Maintenance? Training? Transport of materials? Monitoring of beneficiaries?
Without a precise definition, applying the threshold may 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 follow the same model.
An organisation that builds schools will naturally have higher material expenses. Another, specialising in training, legal assistance or social protection, will invest primarily in human skills.
Applying the same ratio to all risks penalising certain activities without demonstrating that they are less useful.
The risk of a perverse effect
An organisation unable to reach 80% might be pushed to artificially alter its budget.
It could cut oversight positions or favour expenses easily classified as ‘direct’.
However, spending more in the field does not automatically yield more results.
Effectiveness must be measured by impact: number of beneficiaries, quality of services, cost of interventions, results achieved and sustainability of projects.
Oversight can be strengthened in other ways
If the goal is truly to protect funding, the government has other means at its disposal: independent audits, publication of accounts, traceability of funds, project controls and sanctions in cases of misappropriation.
These mechanisms allow verification of 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 demand greater transparency from NGOs. 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 operations solely to comply with an administrative ratio?
The outcome must be assessed on the facts.
For in an NGO, an expense that is not visible in the field may sometimes be precisely the one that ensures the money arrives there.
