After years of inactivity, the SO.FA.CO-B cotton wool manufacturing company is resuming operations. This return was made possible by the industrial sovereignty policy of the President of Burkina Faso, who aims to revive local expertise and national production.
After years of silence, the machines at SO.FA.CO-B, the cotton wool manufacturing company, are running again. Based in Bobo-Dioulasso, this company specializing in medical cotton wool is coming back to life. This rebirth is symbolic of the return of Burkina Faso’s textile industry.
SOFACO-B had gradually declined, a victim of foreign competition and a lack of investment. Today, with government support, it is getting a second lease on life. The resumption of activities is part of the economic sovereignty policy championed by President Ibrahim Traoré, who wants to reduce the country’s dependence on imports, particularly in the healthcare sector.
Today, SOFACOB produces between 2,500 and 3,000 units per day and directly employs 26 people. It offers three lines of medical cotton wool: 50g, 100g, and 150g. The popular 50g regular cotton is intended for supermarkets. Thanks to this revival, Burkina Faso hopes not only to cover most of its domestic needs for medical cotton, which was previously largely imported, but also to develop export markets within the sub-region.