As a rural development engineer and specialist in the management of sustainable development and food security projects, Salifou OUEDRAOGO has been the Minister of Agriculture, Hydro-Agricultural Development and Mechanisation since 25 January 2019.

Being an expert in strategic management of organisations, he holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Institut d’administration des entreprises of Poitiers, in France, and a Diplôme d’Études supérieures en Administration et Gestion des organisations from CESAG in Dakar.

Before joining the government, he was the Director of Operations of SOS Sahel International France, covering 11 Sahelian countries in West, Central and East Africa. From 2003 to 2012, he was the director of SOS Sahel Burkina Faso.

From 1996 to 2003, he was in charge of sustainable agriculture and school infrastructure projects at the Catholic Relief Services-Cathwel/Burkina Faso.

In 1992, he participated in some programmes managed by the Ministry of Environment and co-financed by FAO. These projects are related to natural forest management and food security.