Côte d'Ivoire Positions Itself as a Regional Investment Hub Through Industrial and Agricultural Transformation

Investing in Côte d'Ivoire means investing in a stable and competitive regional hub, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Crafts Ibrahim Kalil Konaté told investors, highlighting the strengths of the Ivorian economic ecosystem.

He made the remarks during a panel discussion on the theme "Increasing Agricultural Productivity, Developing Value Chains and Agricultural Transformation" held as part of the second day of the Consultative Group meeting for the financing of the 2026–2030 National Development Plan (NDP), dedicated to the private sector, on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire.

Ibrahim Kalil Konaté participated alongside Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries Sidi Tiémoko Touré and Minister Delegate in charge of Food Crop Production Bernard Kini-Komoé.

The minister stressed the importance of creating greater added value from Côte d'Ivoire's agricultural production.

"Côte d'Ivoire produces 1.84 million tonnes of cocoa and 1.549 million tonnes of cashew nuts, with the ambition of processing 50% of these productions by 2030. As Africa's leading rubber producer, the country also intends to develop second- and third-level processing capacities, particularly to manufacture products such as tires. We must process more, export more manufactured products, and create greater value locally," he said.

He also called for the development of special economic zones, efficient logistics platforms, and energy infrastructure to reduce companies' production costs. "The NDP sets a target of creating 500,000 industrial jobs by 2030. We will achieve this by increasing the transformation of our raw materials," he stated.

Highlighting further investment opportunities, Minister Konaté noted that Côte d'Ivoire imports more than CFA 610 billion worth of rice annually and more than CFA 522 billion worth of fish, bringing the subtotal of imported food products to around CFA 1.541 trillion. Total recorded imports, including food products, petroleum, medicines, and veterinary products, amount to approximately CFA 3.9 trillion. According to him, these imports represent significant investment opportunities for the private sector.

Minister Konaté reaffirmed the government's commitment to continuing reforms aimed at improving the business environment, reducing informality, and strengthening the competitiveness of the national economy. He also called on private sector partners to support Côte d'Ivoire's ambition of increasing industry's contribution to 30% of GDP by 2030.