Ivorian leadership highlights resource mobilization at BAD forum
On Tuesday, July 28, in Abidjan, Pr Loesse Jacques ESSO, Chief of Staff representing Dr Souleymane DIARRASSOUBA, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development, inaugurated the 2026 edition of the Country Report Côte d’Ivoire (RP-CI) and the West Africa Economic Outlook (PER-AO) published by the African Development Bank (BAD). The event, themed “Scaling up resources for Africa’s development finance in a fragmented global landscape”, brought together BAD representatives, national and international financial institutions, the private sector, and Ivorian public administration officials.
National priorities align with continental development goals
This initiative directly supports Côte d’Ivoire’s strategic objectives. Under the leadership of His Excellency Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic, the Ivorian Government has prioritized resource mobilization as a cornerstone of its economic transformation agenda. This commitment is embedded in the 2026-2030 National Development Plan (PND), which relies on enhanced mobilization of both public and private financing to drive sustainable growth.
The ceremony underscored the robust partnership between Côte d’Ivoire and the African Development Bank. According to Pr Loesse Jacques ESSO, the reports produced by the BAD serve as critical decision-making tools, shaping public policy and fostering dialogue with development partners.
Economic momentum and financing challenges
Addressing the economic context, he noted that Africa’s projected growth of 3.9% in 2025 reflects a positive trajectory, with Côte d’Ivoire leading the way at approximately 6.5% growth. This performance aligns closely with the benchmarks required to achieve the African Union’s Agenda 2063 ambitions.
He emphasized that financing the PND 2026-2030, valued at 114,838.5 billion FCFA (about 209 billion US dollars), remains one of the most pressing challenges in the country’s economic transformation. The success of the Consultative Group meeting held on July 8-9, 2026—where partners mobilized an exceptional 80 billion dollars (47,820 billion FCFA)—demonstrates strong confidence in Côte d’Ivoire’s development vision and its ability to attract large-scale financing for national priorities.
Continent-wide strategies for structural economic transformation
Beyond Côte d’Ivoire’s specific case, Pr Loesse Jacques ESSO highlighted how the reports’ findings reflect a shared priority across Africa: the urgent need to mobilize substantial resources to accelerate structural economic transformation. This requires strengthening domestic revenue collection, increasing private sector investment, deepening financial systems, and fostering regional integration through initiatives like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He urged participants to engage deeply with the reports’ analyses and recommendations, calling for collaborative contributions to strengthen collective reflection. The goal is to identify effective strategies to address challenges, seize opportunities, and define shared responsibilities for all stakeholders—public administrations, private sector, financial institutions, and civil society—to build more effective development financing policies both in Côte d’Ivoire and across the region.
