On Monday, November 25, 2024, Cheick Tidjane Thiam, President of the PDCI-RDA, met with the Ivorian diaspora in Paris. The event, which drew a large crowd, provided an opportunity for the political leader to outline his ambitious vision for a renewed Côte d’Ivoire, centered on transparency and good governance.

During his keynote address, Thiam emphasized the efficient use of national resources:

“To improve the lives of the people, the country’s resources must be properly managed.”

He strongly criticized inefficiencies and budgetary excesses that hinder the nation’s development:

“Projects that should take two years end up taking five, and budgets planned at 20 billion climb to 100 billion. This is unacceptable!”

Thiam also highlighted the importance of full transparency in the management of natural resources, particularly in light of recent oil and gas discoveries. Advocating for compliance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) standards, he underscored citizens' rights to know what resources are extracted and how they are utilized:

“The people must know what resources are being extracted from our land and where those riches are going.”

In closing, he called for collective action to reform the current system:

“There’s a lot to be done, but it’s possible. In a failing system, we must fight and work hard to fix it.”

With this message, Cheick Tidjane Thiam reaffirmed his commitment to building a Côte d’Ivoire where every resource is utilized for the well-being of its citizens, laying the foundation for exemplary governance.