Cooperation Projects between Japan and Côte d'Ivoire

As part of its economic cooperation projects, Japan has provided Côte d'Ivoire with non-repayable funds under Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the implementation of economic and social development actions.

Since 2010, the total funding provided by Japan amounts to 333.387 billion FCFA. This contribution comes from the Government of Japan for 22.62% (75.421 billion FCFA) and from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for 77.38% (257.966 billion FCFA), which is distributed into grants amounting to 109.376 billion FCFA and loans for the implementation of structural projects amounting to 148.590 billion FCFA.

Key Sectors Funded:

• Economic and port infrastructures

• Environment and sustainable development

• Agriculture

• Defense and security

• Water and forests

• Peace and social cohesion

• Administrative and territorial governance

• Technical and vocational education

• Animal and fishery resources

The most significant ongoing projects relate to the sectors of environment and sustainable development, agriculture, administrative governance and territorial development, and peace and social cohesion. These include:

1. Forest Preservation Program in Côte d'Ivoire: Aimed at ensuring the integrity, protection, and enhancement of parks and reserves in Côte d'Ivoire, with Japan's financing of 7.5 billion FCFA.

2. Promotion of Local Rice Production in Côte d'Ivoire (PRORIL): Aimed at increasing the volume of local rice sales in targeted areas (Yamoussoukro, Bouaké, Abidjan), with JICA's contribution of 3.7 billion FCFA.

3. Strengthening Communes for Social Cohesion in Greater Abidjan: Aiming at human promotion and consolidation of social peace, with JICA's contribution of 3.03 billion FCFA.

4. Human Resource Development Project for Strengthening Local Administration in Crisis-Affected Areas: Focused on strengthening the basic service delivery system in five districts of the central and northern areas affected by conflicts, with JICA's contribution of 2.976 billion FCFA.

5. Revival of Continental Fishery Production in Côte d'Ivoire: Aimed at providing technical assistance to fish farmers through training, technology transfer, and the structuring of their professional organizations into cooperatives, with JICA's contribution of 2.35 billion FCFA (the grant agreement was signed on December 22, 2015).

6. Construction of the Ivorian-Japanese Friendship Interchange: Signed on July 10, 2015, for a cost of 24.3 billion FCFA.

7. Construction of Sassandra’s Dock and Central Market: The financing agreement was signed on November 9, 2016, for an amount of 15.5 billion FCFA.

8. Construction of a Cereal Terminal at the Autonomous Port of Abidjan: For a total of 10.869 billion Japanese Yen, or approximately 60 billion CFA francs, with the loan agreement signed on March 30, 2017.

9. Construction of Three Interchanges in Cocody (Ecole de Police, Riviera 3, and Palmeraie): The agreement was signed in February 2019 for a total of 80.7 billion FCFA.

10. Support for Strengthening Equipment at the Regional Academy of Marine Sciences and Techniques in Abidjan: Signed on December 21, 2015, for a cost of 3.25 billion FCFA.

11. Improvement of TV Programs and Equipment for the Production of Programs by the Ivorian Radio and Television (RTI): Signed on December 31, 2015, for a total cost of 258 million FCFA.

Additionally, under the Ivorian-Japanese Friendship Interchange project, Japan granted Côte d'Ivoire 25.135 billion FCFA on January 8, 2019, for the financing of Phase 2 of the project. The works were launched on November 25, 2016.

On August 29, 2019, in Yokohama, Côte d'Ivoire and Japan signed an agreement to set up a Toyota vehicle assembly plant in Côte d'Ivoire. Furthermore, a reciprocal investment protection agreement was signed between the two countries on January 13, 2020.

It should be noted that a trade agreement between Côte d'Ivoire and Japan was signed on May 25, 1970.

A Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (APIE) was signed in January 2020.

On May 25, 2022, in Abidjan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed loan agreements totaling 37,028 million Japanese Yen (JPY) with the government of Côte d'Ivoire for the following two projects:

• Emergency support loan in response to the COVID-19 crisis (loan amount: 15,000 million JPY);

• Reinforcement of the Taabo-Kossou-Bouaké electricity network (loan amount: 22,028 million JPY).

Furthermore, on September 6, 2022, as part of agricultural support in northern and western Côte d'Ivoire, Japan and Côte d'Ivoire signed an agreement granting a donation of 500 million Yen (approximately 2.4 billion FCFA) for the provision of tractors and fertilizers to promote mechanization and improve agricultural productivity.