On Friday, June 19, 2026, in Abidjan-Plateau, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of National Education, Literacy and Technical Education, N’Guessan Koffi, and the Central African Republic’s Minister of State for National Education, Aurélien-Simplice Kongbelet-Zingas, signed a framework agreement aimed at establishing a broad cooperation framework in the fields of national education, technical and vocational training, and literacy.

The agreement, signed at the conclusion of Minister Kongbelet-Zingas’ working visit to Côte d’Ivoire, will remain in force for ten years and is renewable by tacit agreement. It covers nine key areas: trainer training, curriculum and pedagogical engineering, educational technology and digital learning, institutional partnerships and cooperation, educational planning and school mapping, school feeding and student well-being, general inspection and quality assurance, assessment of learning outcomes, and community engagement.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister N’Guessan Koffi emphasized that education is at the heart of stability, social cohesion, and sustainable development. He stressed that African countries face growing social expectations, rapid population growth, and the challenge of creating more opportunities for young people, making cooperation and the sharing of best practices essential.

He expressed his hope that the agreement would mark the beginning of an active, closely monitored, and mutually beneficial partnership between the two nations.

For his part, Minister Aurélien-Simplice Kongbelet-Zingas stated that he was leaving Côte d’Ivoire convinced that the foundations of a strong, lasting, and mutually beneficial partnership had been established. He added that the provisions of the agreement would soon translate into concrete actions benefiting learners, teachers, and educational administrations in both countries.

He reaffirmed the Central African Republic’s commitment to working alongside its sister nation, Côte d’Ivoire, to make this cooperation a model of South-South partnership serving Africa’s development, regional integration, and the promotion of quality education for all.

The ceremony was attended by UNICEF’s Resident Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, Jean François Basse.