• Ivory Coast’s new education minister placed training and qualification at the center of employability and inclusive growth.

• The government aims to better align basic education, technical training and labor market integration.

• Despite rising enrollment rates, adult illiteracy remains high, especially in rural areas.

During his official inauguration on Friday, January 30, 2026, in Abidjan-Plateau, Education Minister N’Guessan Koffi said the government would use national education, literacy and technical training as key drivers of economic and social development. He presented this vision to institutional leaders and stakeholders from the education sector.

Addressing the audience, N’Guessan Koffi, who succeeded Mariatou Koné, now minister of state assets, said schools must occupy a central role in Ivory Coast’s qualitative social transformation. He said the government must strengthen the attractiveness of the education system and improve coordination between foundational learning, technical education and job placement. He described education as “the foundation of human society” and training as “the soul of progress and fulfillment.”

Drawing on his experience as a trainer and head of leading institutions, including the National School of Statistics and Applied Economics in Abidjan and the Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute, N’Guessan Koffi said he would build the future of the school system around the teacher-student relationship. He described that relationship as a key driver of performance. He also called for stronger collective support for schools to create a stable environment conducive to learning and skills development. In addition, he reaffirmed his commitment to implementing recommendations from the National Education and Literacy Conference launched under his predecessor.

This policy direction seeks to address persistent structural challenges in Ivory Coast’s education system. Although enrollment rates improved, with gross primary enrollment exceeding 105% in 2025 and secondary enrollment reaching about 82%, literacy and education-to-employment alignment remain major issues. Official data showed that about half of the adult population remains illiterate, particularly in rural areas. However, literacy campaigns conducted between 2024 and 2025 helped more than 4,600 adults acquire basic reading and writing skills.

This article was initially published in French by Félicien Houindo Lokossou

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de BERRY QUENUM