Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara has emphatically reiterated his determination to steer Côte d’Ivoire onto a path of accelerated emergence. He is calling upon all active forces within the nation to join in constructing what he terms the « Grande Côte d’Ivoire » – a greater Côte d’Ivoire. This rallying cry, issued at the start of a new political cycle, reflects the head of state’s ambition to unify administrative, economic, religious, and community leaders around a shared national project. It comes as Abidjan seeks to leverage a decade of consistent growth to achieve significant structural advancement.
A call for Ivorian vital forces’ cohesion
The presidential appeal explicitly targets every segment of Ivorian society. Republican institutions, political parties, the private sector, civil society, traditional chiefdoms, and the diaspora are all invited to engage in this collective endeavor. The chosen phrasing suggests an inclusive approach to public action, where the success of the national project hinges on broad participation rather than solely on the executive’s will. This framework is particularly relevant given the current political climate, where questions of stability and the continuity of public policies are exceptionally pertinent.
For Alassane Ouattara, this initiative aligns with the major policy directions he has championed since 2011, which center on industrialization, opening up rural areas, and positioning Abidjan as a key regional hub. The president aims to transform a favorable macroeconomic dynamic, characterized by an average growth exceeding 6% in recent years, into more tangible social benefits for households. The rhetoric of the « Grande Côte d’Ivoire » encompasses this dual aspiration: strengthening economic indicators and enhancing redistribution of wealth.
A long-term economic and political blueprint
Economically, the promise of an expanded Côte d’Ivoire points to several major structural projects already underway. The port of Abidjan continues its expansion, while the port of San Pedro is growing in importance for the mining and agricultural sectors. The highway network is extending northward, towards Burkina Faso and Mali, with the goal of strengthening West African logistics corridors. The energy sector, long identified as a vulnerability after the supply crisis of 2024, is receiving substantial investments to secure production and diversify its energy mix.
The political dimension is, however, no less crucial. By engaging the nation’s vital forces, the Ivorian president seeks to broaden the support base for his administration beyond the confines of the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party apparatus. This rhetorical openness reflects a strategic understanding: significant infrastructure and economic transformation projects demand a minimum consensus to prevent their reversal with changes in political leadership. The reference to the nation, rather than to the presidential camp, is integral to this long-term vision.
A methodology rooted in gathering
The choice of vocabulary is deliberate. By speaking of a « Grande Côte d’Ivoire », the executive aligns itself with a political tradition inherited from founding president Félix Houphouët-Boigny, where national ambition was articulated through mobilizing slogans. This claimed lineage aims to anchor presidential action in historical continuity and to defuse criticisms concerning an excessive personalization of power. Nevertheless, the concrete implementation of this appeal will depend on the institutions’ capacity to translate the political statement into operational mechanisms.
Observers note that the success of such a project requires measurable progress in governance, the business climate, and the fight against territorial inequalities. The northern and central regions of the country, less endowed with infrastructure than the lagoon front, remain priority areas. Furthermore, the issue of youth inclusion, in a nation where over 75% of the population is under 35, represents a significant structural challenge. The presidential appeal will fully gain its meaning if it translates into concrete mechanisms for associating the mentioned stakeholders in decision-making processes.
