Africa Economy

Côte d’Ivoire’s constitution establishes the country as a republic operating a unitary system of government, with a legislature, an executive branch and an independent judiciary. The legal system is based on the civil code tradition rather than the British system of common law, reflecting the nation’s history as a French colony.

Progress on several major infrastructure projects helped sustain Côte d’Ivoire’s sixth consecutive year of solid economic growth in 2016. Works planned under the 2016-20 National Development Plan (Plan National de Développement, PND) – announced by President Alassane Dramane Ouattara following his re-election in late 2015 – will be a key...

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...

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....

Côte d’Ivoire is prospering on the back of renewed political stability and rapid economic growth, although as is the case with many fast-growing markets, the rewards have not been evenly distributed. The government has grappled with the high concentration of economic activity in select regions, which has compounded regional inequality and led...