Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire has seen an encouraging turnaround in diplomatic relations with a variety of partners. In the first decade of this century ties between the central government (for much of the decade the north was under rebel rule) and the West became strained, and the regime in Abidjan was increasingly isolated, both regionally and internationally...

To support industrial and economic development, the government has adopted a multipronged approach: a public investment programme to rebuild and improve infrastructure; mobilisation of private sector investment through public-private partnerships; improvements to the business environment to stimulate private sector investment more broadly; and...

Accounting for a third of all cocoa exports, and blessed with an ideal climate for a range of cash crops, Côte d’Ivoire has long derived the bulk of its export income from raw, unprocessed agricultural produce. This reliance has, however, made it dependent to a large degree on the vagaries of international commodity markets, while much of the value...

Once the industrial engine of post-colonial West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire still retains a commercial and manufacturing fabric that is enviable by regional standards, although its lead over its neighbours has all but disappeared recently. As with other areas of the economy, industry has suffered from the years of political turmoil and economic...

Outside of Abidjan and the major population centres, goods are sold almost exclusively by small operators in the informal sector, often in open-air markets. In the country as a whole, the informal sector dominates retail, accounting for an estimated 70-90% of all sales. Supermarkets and high-street stores are more prevalent in Abidjan, with the...