Is The 15,000 Sitting Capacity Stadium Under Construction In Burkina Faso Solely Built By Locals?

On November 6, 2025, an X user @jacksonhinklle posted a 57 seconds video showing construction workers on a construction site, with the claim that Burkina Faso’s 15,000 seater stadium under construction in Bobo Diolaso is being built by the locals without the help of any foreign contractor. The post is captioned, “🚨🇧🇫 BREAKING: Faso, not  foreign nationals, are building their own 15000 seater stadium themselves in Bobo Diolaso.”

When this report was published, the post had about 133,100 views and over 7,400 replies, reposts, quotes, likes and bookmarks. In the comment section, @Mr_Africanist said “Clear signs of a country that is ready, but essentially, committed to development.” while @DukeofVaal66 wrote “This nation will thrive if the president is protected against sinister forces from the West.”

VERIFICATION

Screenshots were taken from different angles of the video and subjected to Google reverse image search, and it was found that the video came into public space on November 3, 2025, as seen on Facebook, here, here, here and here, and on X, with similar captions.

According to CDR Africa, there is indeed a new stadium project named the Léguema stadium in Bobo-Dioulasso, the country’s second largest city. The Léguema stadium has a capacity of about 15,000 seats and its completion is scheduled for April 2026. Upon completion, the stadium is expected to host national and international sporting events, as well as serve as a hub for youth engagement and community activities.

According to Alexandre Yougbaré, technical advisor to the Minister of Sports, Youth and Employment, “the overall completion rate stands at 50.24% as at July 31, 2025.” He stated that “the foundations are finished, the metal structures are being erected, and the prefabricated stands are already being positioned. The shipment of some prefabricated elements from Turkey is also underway, while the mobilisation and excavation operations are nearing completion.”

CDR Africa in its report also states that “Notably, 80% of the workforce involved in the project are Burkinabè citizens, reflecting a strong commitment to local job creation and skills development.” 

While 80 percent local labour is cited, that implies 20 percent are non-locals. Also, details about funding, contractor origin, and whether foreign firms/materials are used are incomplete but the source states that “the structures metallic in course of mounting, and the positioning of prefabricated stands is already underway. The shipment of some prefabricated elements from Turkey is also in progress.”

CONCLUSION

The claim that the 15,000 seater stadium under construction in Bobo Diolaso is being  built by the locals without the help of any foreign contractor is MISLEADING. Only eighty percent of the workforce involved in the project are Burkinabè citizens. Also, some of the materials used in the construction are sourced internationally, for instance, some prefabricated elements were obtained from Turkey.