The World Bank Group’s active portfolio in Ivory Coast stands at 25 projects worth a total of $5.3 billion. That figure was highlighted on Monday, 21 September 2026, in Abidjan at the opening of the Group’s first-ever Open Days, by Mr Amadou Coulibaly, Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson, representing Dr Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of Planning and Development and World Bank Group Governor for Ivory Coast.
The World Bank Group and the Government are holding these Open Days on 21 and 22 September under the theme “Jobs and opportunities: building together for inclusive growth”. Several Government members attended the opening ceremony, alongside Ms Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, World Bank Division Director for Ivory Coast, Benin, Guinea and Togo.
Over two days, students, young graduates and project promoters meet the teams behind the institution’s financed projects, focusing on education, employment, entrepreneurship and infrastructure. Jobs are the common thread: the 2026-2030 National Development Plan aims to create three million jobs, prioritising young people and women.
The Group’s funding covers infrastructure, agriculture, energy, education, health and human capital development. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested nearly $2.7 billion in Ivory Coast over the past five years, while the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) helps bolster investor confidence.
This current portfolio is distinct from the commitment announced for the coming years. At the Consultative Group for the financing of the 2026-2030 National Development Plan, held in Abidjan on 8 and 9 July 2026, the World Bank Group announced a commitment of more than $17 billion: $10 billion from the World Bank, $5 billion from the IFC and $2 billion from MIGA.
The partnership has also been marked by unprecedented financial operations in the region. In December 2024, with the Group’s support, Ivory Coast carried out a debt-for-development swap, the first of its kind backed by the institution. Covering nearly €400 million of commercial debt, it improves the debt profile and frees up resources for education. In 2025, the country concluded West Africa’s first sustainability-linked sovereign loan, worth €433.3 million, with a dual guarantee from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and MIGA.
The sequence is part of an ongoing partnership. On 10 September, Dr Souleymane Diarrassouba received Mr Harold Tavares, Director of the Africa Group II at the World Bank Group’s Board of Directors, in Abidjan. Their talks covered the Ivorian portfolio and preparations for the next Country Partnership Framework, which is to align with the priorities of the 2026-2030 National Development Plan.
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