Burkina Faso Explores AI-Powered Customs Reform in Talks with Webb Fontaine
This meeting signals Burkina Faso's proactive approach to leveraging advanced digital tools for improved national revenue collection and enhanced security.
Dr. Aminata Zerbo/Sabane, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Digital Transition, Postal and Electronic Communications, met with a delegation from Webb Fontaine on July 21, 2025, to discuss an innovative digital solution aimed at optimizing customs management and exploring potential partnerships.
The Webb Fontaine delegation, led by its General Manager Alioune Ciss, presented a new digital technology designed to enhance existing customs systems like SYDONIA and SYLVIE.
“We have come to propose a complementary solution to existing systems such as SYDONIA and SYLVIE, with a special focus on security and increasing customs revenues.”
–Alioune Ciss, General Manager, Webb Fontaine.
According to Ciss, this advanced technology, which integrates artificial intelligence, has already demonstrated its effectiveness in boosting customs revenues through rapid and efficient management in various countries.
Minister Zerbo/Sabane expressed keen interest in the initiative. She encouraged the Webb Fontaine delegation to collaborate closely with teams from the Customs department and the Ministry of Finance to thoroughly explore avenues for potential cooperation.
Webb Fontaine is a prominent player in the digital transformation of customs services, with a presence in over 22 countries globally, including several in West Africa such as Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Niger. This meeting signals Burkina Faso’s proactive approach to leveraging advanced digital tools for improved national revenue collection and enhanced security.
