This show would allow people from diverse backgrounds to meet, negotiate, discuss, deal and sell their products.
Hence, they decided to create a framework for the promotion and the exchange of African handicrafts that would be a mean to facilitate their access to the international market.
Moreover, the government wanted to create a medium that would facilitate reflection and consultation on problems related to the development of handicraft in African countries.
On the social,[1] intention side, the SIAO mentioned that the International Art and Craft Fair Ouagadougou, is a way to make easy the dissemination and expansion of African handicraft as a mean for expression and culture.
The advertising campaign, made on national and African levels, brought together 244 Burkinabé craftsmen and 20 exhibiting countries such as Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Guadeloupe, France, Pakistan, Philippines.
The financial assistance of the European Development Fund (EDF) and the implementation in France, Italy and Germany, enabled to show the interest of participating to the SIAO, hence attracted in Ouagadougou dozens of professional visitors and buyers.
In addition, the colloquy confronted craftsmen with trainers and specialists enabling them to tackle the problems that hamper the development and promotion of African handicraft.
The communications by the different representatives on their respective experiences allowed to reach conclusions among which the most important is the Ouagadougou Declaration of Intention.
The participants in the forum recommended that the Ouagadougou International Arts and Craft Fair be institutionalised and held every other year.
The meeting was attended by 30 countries in which 24 African countries and about 200 Burkinabé craftsmen who exhibited in various fields like batik, painting, bronze, basket making, sculpting, furniture, textile, shoe making, arms manufacturing, pottery, jewellery, ceramic, traditional medicine, agricultural tools, energy, invention, etc...
The 4th meeting of the Ouagadougou International Arts and Craft Fair was held from 29 October to 5 November 1994 and its theme was Handicraft and Design.
This Edition was attended by countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Mauritius Island, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Mayotte, Niger, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Senegal, Chad, Togo, Tunisia and Zaire.
The sixteenth meeting of the international Art and Craft Fair, Ouagadougou was scheduled to be held from 29 October through 8 November 2020.
The 16th edition of the Ouagadougou International Crafts Fair (SIAO), initially scheduled for October 28 to November 6, 2022, was held from January 27 to February 5, 2023.
The 17th OUAGADOUGOU INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS FAIR will be held from October 25 to November 3, 2024, under the High Patronage of His Excellency, the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The Theme of the 17th edition is: African Crafts, Youth Entrepreneurship, and Empowerment Mali and Niger are the special guest countries at SIAO 2024.