Country Profile
From The Report: Cote d’Ivoire 2019
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Once one of Africa’s economic powerhouses, Côte d’Ivoire fell on hard times in the 1980s and entered a period of political instability and civil war at the end of the 1990s. The coun¬try has largely been at peace since 2011, enjoying some of the highest economic growth rates globally, especially during the period 2012-16. Still by far the world’s most important cocoa producer, the former French colony is linguistically, ethnically and religiously diverse, and well on its way to reclaiming its status as a dynamic driving force of the West African regional economy. This chapter contains a viewpoint with President Alassane Dramane Ouattara; an interview with Vera Songwe, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Africa; and a viewpoint: Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development of Canada.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Driving force: The country posted some of the highest rates of growth in the world in the past decade, positioning it for more development
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Once one of Africa’s economic powerhouses, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire fell on hard times in the 1980s and entered a period of political instability and civil war at the end of the 1990s. The country has largely been at peace since 2011, enjoying some of the highest economic growth rates globally, especially during the period 2012-16. Still by far the world’s most important cocoa producer, the former French colony is linguistically, ethnically and religiously diverse, and well on its way…

Viewpoint

Accelerating investment: President Alassane Dramane Ouattara, on overcoming financing challenges and improving infrastructure
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Viewpoint :President Alassane Dramane Ouattara Today, the African continent is home to 60% of the world’s arable land. It has abundant energy resources ranging from hydrocarbons to renewable energies. In addition, four of the world’s 10 most dynamic economies, including Côte d’Ivoire, are on the African continent. By 2050, one in four people of the globe’s population will be African and the workforce from Africa will be the largest in the world. In order to take advantage of this…

Interview

Maximising benefits: Vera Songwe, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), on opportunities in trade, renewable energy and the application of technology
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Interview :Vera Songwe How is the adoption of technologies supporting economic development in Africa? VERA SONGWE: In 2017 the mobile sector accounted for 7.1% of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP. The mobile ecosystem supported 3m jobs and contributed almost $14bn to public revenues in the form of general tax and sector-specific levies on the consumption of mobile services. Beyond this there are significant opportunities use technology for inclusive economic growth, through sectors such as trade,…

Overview

Steady progress: A new reform and policy agenda ahead of the 2020 presidential elections aims at increasing private sector influence
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Although the country’s humid climate hinders the preservation of biological remains, archaeological finds suggest that humans may have inhabited areas that became Côte d’Ivoire as early as the Neolithic period, from 15,000 BCE onwards. The first recorded history, however, comes from Berber merchants from North Africa who plied trans-Saharan trade routes as far south as the edge of the country’s rain forests. Following the Arab conquest, this also determined the range of Islamic influence,…

Analysis

Internationally recognised: An important member of ECOWAS, the Non-Aligned Movement and other UN agencies, the country is active on the global stage
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Since achieving independence in 1960, Côte d’Ivoire has managed to maintain broadly friendly relations with its neighbours, its French former colonial ruler, and within a continental and multilateral context. France Ruling as Côte d’Ivoire’s first president from 1960 to 1993, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who had previously served as a minister in the French government, was the driving force in foreign relations. In particular, he prioritised a close relationship with France, consistently the…

Viewpoint

Advancing equality: Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development of Canada, on women and young people as driving forces
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Viewpoint :Marie-Claude Bibeau For more than 50 years, Côte d’Ivoire and Canada have worked together in several areas. Canada supports every national polio vaccination campaign and provides vitamin A and deworming supplements to more than 1.3m Ivorian children. Each year, some 15 Ivorian youth receive a Canadian Francophonie Scholarship to pursue their post-secondary education in Canada. In 2018 our collaboration on regional security expanded as we co-chair the G7 Friends of the Gulf of…