In a bid to expand access, education is increasingly exploring the possibilities of the metaverse and extended-reality (XR) approaches. The former comprises a range of technologies which immerse users in a virtual environment. It denotes a 3D medium that combines virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) into a new digital realm, sometimes known as XR. These environments are accessed through…
West Africa is experiencing a higher rate of inflation due to lingering pandemic-related challenges, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Constraints on commodity supply chains have dramatically increased the price of several goods, such as food and energy. Meanwhile, sanctions on Russian exports, especially oil and gas, are likely to push global prices higher, making it more…
The government has introduced several new policies to enhance the country’s industrial sector and, in turn, enable private and foreign investors to enter the market. While agro-industry remains the country’s largest industrial segment, the authorities plan to develop other industries and export sectors as the country’s population becomes increasingly urbanised. Industrial Development The National…
While many countries worldwide signalled a shift towards economic recovery in late 2021 and into 2022 after the initial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Côte d’Ivoire appears to have weathered the global crisis better than many. The country’s GDP expanded by 2% in 2020 and 7% in 2021; by comparison, global GDP contracted by 3.1% in 2020 and grew by 6.1% in 2021, according to the IMF. Côte d’Ivoire’s…
Amid efforts to reduce the carbon footprint associated with the construction industry, there is increasing recognition of the benefits of sustainable and regenerative architecture as a means of lowering emissions. According to the “2019 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction” published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the sector is one of the world’s biggest polluters and…
Green bonds are becoming an increasingly popular form of financing worldwide as companies strive to improve their environmental, social and governance practices. Green bonds, or climate bonds, refer to a fixed-income instrument provided for climate-related or environmental projects. Institutions such as the World Bank and the European Investment Bank often issue green bonds to encourage companies to…
The government unveiled the National Development Plan (Plan National de Développement, PND) 2021-25 to improve infrastructure development and support the expansion of the construction sector. This agenda is also expected to attract more public and private investment, and boost exports. AttractingForeign Investment The swift response by the government and financial support from the IMF alleviated…
According to the US International Trade Commission, in the decade to 2018 container trade in West Africa grew more than in any other region around the world, doubling over the period to more than 5m twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Côte d’Ivoire has seen its share of this boom, with the number of container ships calling at the country rising from 485 in 2018 to 504 in 2020. New Facilities Given…
Promoting domestic tourism was identified as a key area of potential growth for Côte d’Ivoire’s tourism sector when the government first launched Sublime Côte d’Ivoire in 2018 and has since become an even more pressing priority. Travel restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic have kept international visitors away. Hotel room occupancy at iconic tourist resorts averages less than 40%,…
The global tourism industry faces numerous challenges when it comes to decarbonisation, as highlighted by a November 2021 report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme and multinational consulting firm Accenture. In the years prior to the pandemic the sector thrived, recording its 10th consecutive year of growth in 2019. Moreover, with…
