Economy

From the Arab Maghreb Union in the north to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at the other end of the continent, the African Union recognises eight regional economic communities. UEMOA, of which Côte d’Ivoire is a founding member, is one of the continent’s more institutionally integrated unions, with member states sharing a...

Côte d’Ivoire approved its second National Development Plan (Plan National de Développement, PND) in early 2016 to cover the 2016-20 period, following on from the 2012-15 PND. The new plan is aimed at transforming Côte d’Ivoire into an emerging country by 2020, has the backing of the World Bank and the IMF, and is focused on addressing...

Founded in 1975 to promote economic integration in West Africa and eventually bring about full economic and monetary union, ECOWAS is made up of 15 members, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria (where the bloc is headquartered, in the capital Abuja),...

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...