• Abidjan and Ankara discuss partnership to train educators and trainers

• Technical education expands rapidly, but shortage of trainers persists

• Cooperation could support broader goals for skills and employment

Côte d’Ivoire seeks to strengthen the quality of its education system through deeper international cooperation, with a focus on training teachers and instructors.

Education Minister N’Guessan Koffi met with Turkey’s ambassador, Deniz Erdogan Barim, on April 22 to discuss the matter. According to an official statement, the discussions identified two priority areas, including the development of teacher training programs.

The ministry described trainer development as “a key lever for sustainably improving the quality of education.” Both sides expressed interest in building a structured partnership to address current challenges in the system. Details on timing, funding, and scale have yet to be defined.

Côte d’Ivoire’s technical education sector has expanded significantly in recent years, but gaps remain. The number of students rose from 46,495 in 2011 to 173,062 in 2024, a nearly fourfold increase, according to the Ministry of Technical Education. The sector’s share of total secondary education climbed from 3.96% to 6.20% over the same period, while the number of institutions grew to more than 500 public and private schools, up from fewer than 150 in 2011.

Job placement outcomes have improved but remain below targets. The employment rate for graduates increased from 14% in 2017 to 36.5% in 2023. The government aims to raise this figure to 80% by 2030 and increase the share of technical education in secondary schooling to 15%. As of July 2025, only 82 out of 123 evaluated institutions met the first level of national accreditation standards.

Apprenticeship programs are also expanding. By the end of 2024, the Second Chance School initiative had reached 84,366 out-of-school youth. Over the same period, 65,848 apprentices were trained, including 45,671 in formal programs and 20,177 in traditional settings. About 4,000 apprenticeship supervisors have been trained, while 2,700 workers have undergone recognition of prior learning, including 500 already certified.

Despite these gains, the shortage of qualified trainers remains a major constraint. In 2024, only 784 administrative and teaching staff received training, including 319 abroad. Among them, 198 were trained in China as part of projects linked to seven training centers built by AVIC. At the same time, the number of accredited private institutions has reached 565, increasing pressure on the availability of qualified instructors. With 10 new public institutions set to open in 2025, the government aims to expand public training capacity fivefold, a goal that depends heavily on strengthening the pool of trainers.

This is where cooperation with Turkey could play a key role. The Turkish Maarif Foundation operates more than 230 institutions across 27 African countries, serving over 50,000 students. Turkey’s development agency, TIKA, runs 22 offices on the continent and supports projects in sectors including health, agriculture, and vocational training.

Turkey’s Ministry of Education has also developed programs focused on technical and teacher training for partner countries in Africa. By the end of 2024, at least 62,000 African students were studying in Turkey, largely through government scholarships.

This experience positions Ankara as a potential partner in addressing Côte d’Ivoire’s training gap, particularly in technical education and pedagogy—two areas seen as critical to the country’s economic development.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou