Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire have signed a five-year framework agreement on Monday, April 13, 2026, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in education and modernize their respective education systems.

The agreement, signed by Guinea’s Minister of Education Alpha Bacar Barry and Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of National Education N’Guessan Koffi, focuses on key priorities including teacher professionalization, adapted pedagogical approaches, digitalization of education systems, strengthening of digital skills, improved school planning, and student nutrition programs. It also aims at the harmonization of diplomas, curricula, and certifications between both countries.

The partnership will promote mobility and exchanges for teachers and students through institutional cooperation and scientific collaboration, with regular cross-border programs planned over the five-year period. Both countries emphasized the importance of sharing experiences, with Guinea drawing inspiration from Côte d’Ivoire’s education reforms.

This cooperation is part of a broader vision to build an integrated regional education system in West Africa, strengthen training systems, and enhance educational sovereignty.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the education system includes preschool, six years of primary education ending with the CEPE, seven years of secondary education leading to the BEPC and baccalaureate, and higher education in public and private universities. Since 2021, reforms have been implemented, including teacher recruitment, digital transformation with 200,000 tablets distributed, and infrastructure improvements, although challenges remain such as teacher shortages in science subjects, infrastructure gaps, and regional disparities in enrollment.