November 2025
The Deputy Director General of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) for West Africa, Joseph Martial Ribeiro, received on 17 November at the institution’s headquarters in Abidjan a high-level American delegation led by Jessica Davis Ba, United States Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, and Alex Severens, Alternate Executive Director of the Bank Group for the United States. This meeting aimed to strengthen bilateral cooperation, with a common objective: to support Côte d’Ivoire’s economic transformation and boost investment partnerships.
Mr Ribeiro presented a global and updated overview of the Bank Group’s portfolio in Côte d’Ivoire. He indicated that the pan-African financial institution was engaged, as of end-October, in 46 operations for a total amount of 4.2 billion US dollars.
These projects particularly support infrastructure, the financial sector, the energy sector, agricultural transformation, industrialisation and private sector development in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Bank Group’s Principal Economist for West Africa, Marcellin Ndong Ntah, presented a detailed economic assessment of Côte d’Ivoire, highlighting the remarkable resilience of its economy, with growth estimated at 6% in 2024 and equally favourable prospects for 2025-2026 (6.5%).
Mr Ndong Ntah also outlined the main orientations of Côte d’Ivoire’s Country Strategy Paper (CSP 2023-2028), focused on diversification, sustainability and structural transformation, before specifying that a mid-term review of the CSP is planned for 2026.
The meeting continued with a presentation of the country portfolio and the Bank Group’s indicative operational programme for 2026 by Blanche Kiniffo, Country Programme Officer.
She highlighted a particularly dynamic portfolio, dominated by the transport, finance, energy and agriculture sectors, which account for more than 80% of the institution’s financing in Côte d’Ivoire.
Projections for 2026 foresee new opportunities in key areas such as industrialisation, governance, water and sanitation.
For its part, the American delegation presented the United States’ commercial strategy in Côte d’Ivoire developed by a specific working group (U.S. Embassy Prosperity Working Group).
The exchanges then made it possible to identify several areas of convergence between American priorities and the Bank Group’s interventions, paving the way for joint initiatives from 2026, particularly in favour of the private sector.
Discussions also focused on public procurement opportunities and the African Development Bank Group’s project pipeline in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as private sector operations, including financing instruments and prospects for American companies.
This technical and strategic working session confirmed a common desire to deepen dialogue and strengthen collaborations around high-impact projects.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to creating an environment conducive to investment and supporting companies interested in the opportunities offered in Côte d’Ivoire.
By the Editorial Team (Distributed by APO Group for African Development Bank Group)
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