West African nations implement major education reforms

West African nations are implementing significant educational reforms to improve accessibility and regulate costs.

In Burkina Faso, the government has introduced a regulatory framework to cap tuition fees for private educational institutions, ranging from preschool to higher education. According to Secondary Education Minister Moumouni Zoungrana, seven out of ten institutions have already applied stable or reduced rates. The measure aims to protect household purchasing power and prevent speculative pricing in the private sector.

In Benin, the government has generalized free tuition for girls in public secondary education. Starting from the 2026-2027 school year, all girls enrolled from the sixth grade through the final year of secondary school (terminale) in general and technical education are exempt from fees. This policy, overseen by the Ministry of Secondary, Technical, and Vocational Education, seeks to reduce dropout rates and combat poverty by removing financial barriers to education.