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After a decade-long crisis, donor funds are set to provide the Ivoirian government with enough capital to kickstart a series of public-private partnerships (PPPs) meant to re-launch its weakened economy. The government’s roadmap, including billion-dollar infrastructure projects, and a deficit of about 400,000 homes offer many opportunities in the construction sector.

More than any other sector, the Ivoirian government has placed transport and infrastructure at the centre of its plans to revitalise the national economy after a decade of political instability and under-investment. The improvement of Côte d’Ivoire’s transport network is essential to increasing growth in its export-led agriculture sector and the nascent mining industry, as well as capitalising on the country’s role as a transit and transshipment centre for the sub-region.

After years of underinvestment and mismanagement, the government has launched a series of reforms and initiatives aimed at putting the agricultural sector back on track towards profitability and sustainability. Indeed, Côte d’Ivoire has a vibrant agricultural sector that has played an integral part in its national economy since the country gained independence in 1960. The sector accounted for 27.7% of GDP in 2012, or CFA3.5trn (€5.3bn) out of CFA12.5trn (€18.8bn). It also generates around 40% of export earnings and provides jobs for 68% of the labour force.

To meet 10% growth in local electricity demand and benefit from the rising regional need for power, Côte d’Ivoire will have to make significant investments in all parts of the power supply chain as well as prioritise increasing natural gas and oil production. With an advanced power infrastructure by regional standards and ample energy resources for electricity production, the country is well positioned to become a power-producing centre for the area, particularly within the framework of the West African Power Pool (WAPP).

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 stagnation from 1999 to 2011. Recovery has been rapid and impressive since 2011, however, and Ivoirian industrialists are optimistic about a return to sustained growth.

Regionalism is a feature not only of Francophone West Africa’s monetary regime and banking sector, but also of its financial markets. The bond market is dominated by sovereign issues from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, the two largest economies in the region. The equity market has two capitalisations – Sonatel and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated – while most of the companies listed from Côte d’Ivoire. Although traded volume and market capitalisation have been on the rise in recent years and financial performance has been impressive, the regional financial markets remain a marginal source of funding, except for governments. Unlike some of Africa’s larger, more dynamic exchanges, the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) has been stagnant in recent years, with few new equity listings. The markets are limited to trading of shares and bonds, although moves are afoot to open up the exchange to smaller businesses, and to the development of derivative products and commodities.