Côte d’Ivoire has expanded its agricultural training sector with the launch of the Digital Farming School (DFS), a new institution dedicated to digital agriculture, inaugurated on October 31, 2026, at the Technopole of the National Polytechnic Institute Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) in Yamoussoukro.

The school was established through a partnership between INP-HB and Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), with support from OCP Africa and contributions from LEET Initiative. It aims to train professionals capable of combining agricultural expertise with digital technologies and entrepreneurship.

Its first cohort will consist of 50 students, with classes scheduled to begin on November 9. According to information released during the launch, the institution received approximately 4,000 applications.

The two-year programme combines three main areas: agronomy, computer programming and entrepreneurship. It follows a practical learning approach known as “Learning by Farming” and includes access to a 170-hectare experimental farm.

Students will receive training in drone-based field mapping, soil analysis, water management and digital monitoring of agricultural plots. The programme will also provide entrepreneurship support and project incubation to encourage the development of solutions tailored to the agricultural sector.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Adama Diawara, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Bruno Nabagné Koné, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production, and Djibril Ouattara, Minister of Digital Transition and Technological Innovation, served as co-patrons of the event.

The initiative is part of a cooperation framework launched in 2023 between the Ivorian government and the OCP Group. The Digital Farming School also marks a new step in academic and scientific cooperation between INP-HB and UM6P, aimed at supporting agricultural innovation and the development of digital skills in Côte d’Ivoire.