On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Abidjan-Plateau, the Minister of Transport, Amadou Koné, presided over the signing ceremony of a partnership agreement between the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) and the KEOLIS group, marking the beginning of a strategic collaboration for the training of engineers.
This partnership is part of the project for the first metro line in Abidjan—a large-scale initiative aimed at transforming the urban transport sector in Côte d’Ivoire. Through this agreement, INP-HB and KEOLIS commit to implementing concrete actions to prepare young talents for the challenges of the railway sector.
INP-HB will provide KEOLIS access to its top students for professional internships, while facilitating their recruitment. In parallel, the institution will involve KEOLIS in its academic activities and encourage student and faculty participation in collaborative projects.
For its part, KEOLIS will welcome these students and provide them with hands-on training on transportation systems such as metro and BRT (Bus Rapid Transit). KEOLIS will also strengthen the capacities of INP-HB's faculty on railway-related topics. Furthermore, the group pledges to support academic research by funding projects such as final-year dissertations and doctoral theses.
During the ceremony, Minister Amadou Koné praised the collaboration, emphasizing its importance for the success of the Abidjan metro project and the training of skilled personnel in the railway sector. He expressed the government's full support for the initiative.
INP-HB's Director General, Moussa Diaby, thanked KEOLIS for its commitment to the partnership, stressing the importance of aligning academic training with market needs.
KEOLIS' Director General, Paulin Murhula, welcomed the signing of the agreement, highlighting the company’s commitment to contributing to the training of competent and well-prepared professionals for the future of Côte d’Ivoire’s railway sector.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the French Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire, namely Arsène Kobéa, Chief of Staff to the Minister, and Grégoire Fauquier, Economic Officer at the French Embassy.