When a neighbouring nation begins to adopt an educational approach already tested elsewhere, comparisons become unavoidable. This is precisely the dynamic unfolding between Benin and Burkina Faso in the promotion of scientific excellence among young girls. The question now is whether Burkina Faso’s HAKILI Mousso initiative can replicate the achievements of Benin’s long-established model.
Benin’s long-standing commitment to scientific excellence
For several years, Benin has placed academic and scientific excellence at the heart of its education policy. In 2026, the country continued this momentum with the General Competition in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, held in Djougou, combined with an excellence camp for students in scientific streams.
The third edition, whose award ceremony took place on 29 August 2026, aimed to identify young scientific talents, support them, and inspire more vocations in science and technology.
This choice is far from trivial. It reflects a vision of education where academic competition serves not only to establish a ranking but also to identify the future engineers, researchers, technicians, and executives that African economies will require.
Benin’s holistic approach: beyond competitions
One of the strengths of Benin’s experience is that it does not reduce the issue to a one-off competition. The country acts simultaneously on access to education, identification of top profiles, encouragement of scientific fields, and support for young talents.
The decision announced in June 2026 to extend free tuition to all girls in public general and technical secondary education from the 2026-2027 academic year is part of this logic. The Beninese government presents this measure as a way to reduce economic barriers and promote equal opportunities.
The reasoning is simple: before asking young girls to become scientists, they must first be able to access education sustainably and pursue their schooling under good conditions. This is where Benin’s experience takes on a broader dimension. Promoting girls in science is not just about awards or ceremonies. It requires an environment that allows talents to emerge, progress, and eventually find their place in higher education and the professional world.
Burkina Faso’s HAKILI Mousso: a new player
It is in this regional context that Burkina Faso’s HAKILI Mousso initiative deserves attention.
Launched in September 2026 under the auspices of the Presidency of Faso, this first edition is dedicated to identifying female scientific talents. Eighty-four young girls who obtained their scientific baccalaureate in the 2026 session participated in the national final after a selection phase. The tests covered mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
On 19 September, the top candidates were rewarded in Ouagadougou. The top five in each discipline received various prizes, including cash sums, motorcycles, computers, and scholarships. The supervising teachers of the best candidates were also honoured.
At its core, the message of HAKILI Mousso aligns with a concern already evident in Benin: to give greater prominence to female scientific excellence and encourage young girls to invest in scientific disciplines.
Challenging stereotypes: a shared battle
The parallel is particularly striking when it comes to stereotypes. In Burkina Faso, the promoters of HAKILI Mousso explain they want to deconstruct the idea that mathematics, physics, or chemistry are fields reserved for boys. The Burkinabe government presents the competition as an instrument to inspire scientific vocations among girls.
In Benin, the strategy relies more on creating a favourable environment for such talents to emerge: general competitions, excellence camps, support for science students, and measures facilitating girls’ schooling.
The approaches are not identical. But the general direction is similar: identify talents, encourage girls to engage in science, and make academic excellence a lever for development. This is precisely why Benin’s experience deserves to be placed at the forefront when analysing Burkina Faso’s current evolution.
Burkina Faso: a model student of Benin’s experience?
Describing Burkina Faso as a “model student” of Benin is, of course, a comparative reading. But the facts reveal a growing proximity in initiatives dedicated to scientific excellence.
Benin had already established the general competition in mathematics and physical sciences in its educational calendar. In 2026, it organised the third edition, combined with an excellence camp. A few weeks later, Burkina Faso in turn organised a national competition specifically aimed at revealing female scientific talents.
It would be excessive to claim that HAKILI Mousso is a copy of the Beninese system. The two programmes have their own characteristics and respond to different national contexts. However, in a region where states are seeking to strengthen their scientific and technological skills, Benin clearly appears as a regional experience that Burkina Faso can observe and, in some respects, seems to be following.
From beauty pageants to competence: a shift in perspective
The issue of beauty pageants is another element of the debate. Since June 2026, Burkina Faso has suspended beauty pageants on its territory pending a new regulatory framework. This decision sparked reflection on the models of success offered to young people.
A few months later, HAKILI Mousso focuses attention not on physical appearance, but on mathematics, physics, chemistry, reasoning ability, and the scientific potential of young girls. It is not necessarily about opposing beauty and intelligence. Beauty pageants can have cultural, social, or entrepreneurial dimensions. The real question is which models of success public policies choose to highlight. And on this front, Benin has already embarked on a path worth observing.
Its system combines access to education, identification of top science students, and the organisation of excellence frameworks. Burkina Faso now seems to be strengthening this dimension with HAKILI Mousso.
The real challenge: preparing tomorrow’s talent
Behind the competitions and ceremonies, the real issue is far more significant. African economies need scientists, engineers, technicians, researchers, and specialists capable of addressing challenges related to energy, digital technology, industry, agriculture, health, and new technologies.
In this competition for skills, girls represent a considerable reservoir of talent that states can no longer afford to neglect. Benin has understood this by multiplying mechanisms to promote girls’ access to education and scientific excellence. Burkina Faso has now added an initiative specifically dedicated to identifying female scientific talents. The movement is therefore worth following.
Benin shows the way, Burkina Faso draws inspiration
Beyond the controversy around beauty pageants, the current evolution reveals a transformation of educational priorities. Benin has chosen to make scientific excellence a visible element of its education policy. Burkina Faso now appears to be following a comparable trajectory.
The General Competition in Mathematics and Physical Sciences in Djougou, combined with the excellence camp, already illustrates Benin’s desire to identify and support the best scientific profiles. HAKILI Mousso now adds a female and national dimension to this logic of talent identification in Burkina Faso. With 84 candidates from the scientific baccalaureate and rewards designed to encourage their journey, the initiative marks a clear desire to give new visibility to young female scientists.
Thus, rather than presenting Burkina Faso as a country that has simply changed competitions, it is more relevant to look at the regional dynamic of which Benin is currently one of the most visible examples. Burkina Faso seems to have understood the message: the future is not played out solely in speeches, but also in the ability to identify, train, and support talent.
