Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire’s economy is clearly enjoying strong progress, with the IMF forecasting that real GDP growth will reach 8% in both 2016 and 2017. This trend is partly based on the momentum of a continued rebound effect, after several years of civil unrest came to an end in 2011, with capital still pouring into neglected infrastructure networks...

Côte d’Ivoire operates a presidential political system, under which the president is the head of state and holds extensive executive power. He or she appoints a prime minister, who in turn selects the Cabinet. The president is also head of the armed forces and initiates most legislation, though parliament can also do so. The head of state is...

The market for government debt is changing across Africa, and in ways that pose risks for local banks as well as for their investors and customers. States are looking to their banks to help bridge funding gaps so they can better ride out the cycle of lower commodity prices and tepid global growth. That means it is harder to raise international...

The volume of people and goods which traverse Côte d’Ivoire’s border with Ghana is significant both socially and economically. Relations between the two countries, however, have not always been straightforward. Côte d’Ivoire gained its independence from France in 1960, three years after its eastern neighbour won its independence from the UK....

Ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse, Côte d’Ivoire is a West African nation with a rich culture. Once one of the continent’s leading economic powerhouses, the country was afflicted by civil war for much of the past 10 years. However, peace has largely prevailed since April 2011, and the nation is now looking to reclaim its...

In 2016 Jean-Louis Billon, Côte d’Ivoire’s former minister of commerce, noted that while 80% of all firms operating in the country could be categorised as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the segment was receiving just 12% of total investment.