• New policy integrates mines, hydrocarbons, and energy into one long-term framework

• Government aims to raise the sector’s GDP share to 14% by 2040, up from 7% in 2022

• Plan requires CFA38,000 billion over 15 years to support industrialization and diversification

Côte d’Ivoire has launched its Integrated Mineral and Energy Resources Policy (PIRME), a new framework that brings together the mines, hydrocarbons, and energy sectors to support the country’s long-term economic transformation. The announcement came on Friday, December 5, following cabinet approval earlier in the week.

The country remains the largest economy in WAEMU, accounting for 40% of the union’s GDP and 42% of its exports. It is also a major global supplier of cocoa and cashew. Yet the economy still relies partly on agriculture and remains vulnerable to commodity price swings. The new policy aims to broaden the country’s economic base by increasing the mines and energy sector’s contribution to 14% of GDP by 2040, compared with 7% in 2022.

Policy priorities and expected outcomes

The PIRME sets out to organize the entire value chain, from exploration to local processing. It calls for higher mining and petroleum production and a stronger push for value addition within the country. The strategy seeks to reinforce domestic value chains, attract industrial activity, and expand opportunities for local businesses. It also aims to improve sector governance, ensure a fairer distribution of revenues, and support job creation, in a country where 37.5% of the population lived in poverty in 2021, according to France’s Treasury Department.

Energy as a pillar of industrial expansion

Energy is positioned at the center of the policy. Côte d’Ivoire plans to raise the share of renewables to 45% in the national energy mix and reduce emissions from the energy sector by 38%. A more reliable and affordable electricity supply is expected to support extractive industries while strengthening competitiveness across the broader economy. The government views energy as a key driver for reducing regional disparities and supporting new productive activities.

A major financing effort

Implementing the PIRME will require CFA38,000 billion over 15 years, or about $67.5 billion. Of that amount, 41% will go to energy, 30% to mining, and 29% to hydrocarbons. The scale of spending builds on the country’s ability to mobilize investment. Côte d’Ivoire’s 2021–2025 National Development Plan targeted €59 billion in investment, three-quarters of it from the private sector. By the end of 2024, €45.5 billion had been secured, representing a completion rate of 77.1%. This performance underscores the country’s capacity to attract investors and execute large-scale programs.

Building on this momentum, the new integrated framework is designed to deepen economic diversification. Alongside agriculture, Côte d’Ivoire aims to strengthen its position in the extractive sector, consolidate its role as an energy hub in the subregion, and support more inclusive growth beyond Abidjan, which currently accounts for 80% of economic activity.

Abdoullah Diop