Digital cooperation: Côte d'Ivoire explores new opportunities in India
Ivory Coast, firmly committed to becoming a major technological hub in West Africa, is multiplying initiatives to achieve this goal. In this dynamic, the Village of Information Technology and Biotechnology (VITIB), the country's main technological hub, has undertaken a series of strategic meetings in India since March 5, 2025. These meetings aim to promote the Grand-Bassam Free Zone, dedicated to stimulating foreign investments in digital technologies and biotechnology. The ambition is to strengthen cooperation with key players in the sector in India by establishing strategic partnerships to facilitate technology transfer, develop local skills, and accelerate the country's digital transformation.
This initiative is part of an ambitious economic diversification and digital transformation strategy. For the year 2025, Ivorian authorities have allocated a budget of 60.78 billion CFA francs (approximately 96.8 million dollars) to the Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitalization. These budgetary resources are intended to improve connectivity, provide equitable access to technologies, promote digital skills, and support the inclusion of youth and women in the digital sector.
Furthermore, Ivory Coast has been recognized by the United Nations for the quality of its telecommunications infrastructure, ranking among the countries with a high infrastructure index. Indeed, the country scored 0.6693 out of 1, higher than the African average of 0.4534, according to the report “E-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development.”
To further strengthen its digital ecosystem, Ivory Coast has undertaken large-scale projects, including the construction of a data center at the VITIB technology park in Grand-Bassam. This center, developed by the pan-African cloud services provider, ST Digital, covers an area of 4,000 m² and will offer various digital services.
These actions demonstrate Ivory Coast's desire to position itself as a technological leader in West Africa by attracting foreign investments, strengthening its digital infrastructure, and promoting the digital inclusion of its population.
Source : Ecofin Agency, MEPD Web Portal Editorial Team
