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OBG introduces the reader to the different aspects of the legal system in Cote d’Ivoire, in partnership with Bilé-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés. The chapter also features an interview with Michel K Brizoua-Bi and Joachim Bilé-Aka, Founders, Bilé-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés.

Given its size, its status as a cultural hub of Francophone West Africa and its relatively diverse print media and radio sectors, Côte d’Ivoire has the potential to be a major regional media market. While high production costs and low household discretionary spending have limited growth, developments in the audio-visual (AV) sector, namely the migration to digital TV and planned liberalisation, should stimulate competition and spur investment in that side of the market. While high costs and demographic factors in the Ivorian market continue to pose a challenge to the profitability of the nation’s print media in the short-to-medium term, strong overall economic growth and a large youth population hold promise for the future of web media. By comparison, opportunities in the AV sector are larger. The move to AV liberalisation, plus the shift to digital TV, should create new opportunities for investment in the near future.

After over a decade of political instability and armed conflict, Côte d’Ivoire is beginning to rebuild its public health sector. A recent vote for a 29% increase in the budget of the Ministry of Health and the Fight against AIDS and large donor contributions for basic services signal a good start. Côte d’Ivoire’s health sector challenges cut across multiple areas: staffing, infrastructure, training, regulation, national coverage and funding. Improving the quality and equity of care will require sustained interventions in all areas, in particular expansion of access to basic services and better regulation of the private sector. Reining in the private sector through better regulation and training will enable it to serve as a sustainable engine for growth. Investment in public education has stalled over the past several decades, impeded first by the debt crisis of the 1980s and then by the outbreak of civil war. During more than a decade of political turmoil, school buildings were damaged and supplies pillaged. Many schools closed down, largely due to the absence of students, but also for lack of supplies lost to looting. But if Côte d’Ivoire is to harness the development potential of its impressive growth rate, it will need to further extend access to basic education to ensure the enrolment of rural children and girls. As political stability has been restored, the government is prioritising public education, but significant investment will be required to meet the educational needs of the growing population. Long-term gains will require sustained prioritisation and a greater allocation of public finances. This chapter contains an interview with Oumar Kébé, General Manager for West Africa, GlaxoSmithKline.

After years of neglect due to political instability, the tourism industry in Côte d’Ivoire is expected to enjoy a steady recovery as government efforts lead the rejuvenation of the country’s hotel, transport and national attractions infrastructure. Numerous transport and hotel projects currently under way are expected to boost national capacity and help connect travellers to attractions throughout the country. Meanwhile, the introduction of the new tourism code in 2015 will strengthen the position of formal travel agencies and reduce the operations of informal entities. In terms of boosting visitor arrivals, the significant reduction in the price for tourist visas is likely to have a positive effect, as is the shift to the online visa application system. This chapter contains an interview with Wolfgang M Neumann, President and CEO, the Rezidor Hotel Group.

With no less than six operators in a market of close to 20m inhabitants, Côte d’Ivoire’s telecommunications industry is competitive. However, with limited data usage, the scope for growth in revenues is sizeable. Mobile voice is by far the biggest generator of revenues in Côte d’Ivoire’s telecoms sector, representing close to 75% of revenues in 2013. Demand for voice services may be plateauing, but with 3G technologies deployed by the country’s biggest players, the short- and medium-term outlook is bright. Significant potential therefore remains in the sector to complement call tariffs, particularly in fixed-line and mobile internet segments. Despite high access costs, internet usage rates are gradually rising and the National Broadband Project should help further raise connection levels while at the same time putting downward pressure on tariffs. Sound growth fundamentals of the mobile money segment are testament to the potential popularity of e-services in the market and bode well for those with an appetite to deepen it. Meanwhile, fiscal and regulatory pressures aimed at optimising service standards are expected to become a more regular feature of the market, especially in light of the upcoming presidential elections in 2015 and the public drive to raise funding to complete ongoing, large-scale infrastructure projects. This chapter contains interviews with Bruno Nabagné Koné, Minister of Post, Information Technology and Communication; and Michel Combes, CEO, Alcatel-Lucent.