The Minister of Culture and Francophonie, Françoise Remarck, has called on cultural stakeholders to support the government’s ambition to make culture a pillar of sustainable development, national cohesion, international influence, and a heritage to transmit to future generations.

She made this appeal during the 2025 National Excellence Award ceremony held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, in Abidjan-Plateau, where trophies were presented to the second and third-place laureates in the fields of Literature, Performing Arts, Cinema, and Visual Arts.

“Together, let us pursue this noble ambition,” urged Minister Françoise Remarck.

The minister commended the laureates for their exemplary achievements, emphasizing that excellence is the hallmark of those who serve Côte d’Ivoire with passion, rigor, and conviction.
“You embody talent, discipline, audacity, and above all humility,” she said. “You represent the vision of the President of the Republic, Alassane Ouattara — that of a confident Côte d’Ivoire, proud of its identity and talent, and resolutely turned toward the future.”

According to Françoise Remarck, these awards are a mark of national recognition and a symbol of trust that Côte d’Ivoire places in its cultural actors:

“Through you, we celebrate the entire Ivorian cultural chain — writers, storytellers, creators, filmmakers, choreographers, and all artisans of beauty and emotion.”

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Kouadio Affoué Florence, known as Flopy Mendosa, expressed gratitude to the State for honoring and valuing their work.

In the Literature category, the 2nd and 3rd Prizes went respectively to Bouatini Kouadio Affrimou Sévérin (writer) and Kobena Hilaire (book promoter and founder of the Efrouba initiative).
In Performing Arts, Séa Madé, known as Yul Séa (choreographer), and Kouadio Affoué Florence, known as Flopy Mendosa (storyteller), won the 2nd and 3rd Prizes.
In the Cinema and Visual Arts category, Niamien Vincent (designer) and Asso Patrick (fashion designer) were awarded the 2nd and 3rd Prizes respectively.

It is worth recalling that the first-place winners in each category received their awards during the official ceremony held on August 5, 2025, in the presence of the President of the Republic. They include Anzata Ouattara (writer) – 1st Prize for Literature, Bomou Mamadou (master of the spoken word) – 1st Prize for Performing Arts, and Vléhi Franck (filmmaker) – 1st Prize for Cinema and Visual Arts.