• Côte d’Ivoire launches BRIDGE project to tackle educational exclusion

• Program targets out-of-school children and illiterate adults

• Initiative expands bridging classes, literacy centers in priority regions

Côte d’Ivoire has launched a new programme to reduce school exclusion and adult illiteracy, targeting vulnerable children and adults across several regions.

The BRIDGE Côte d’Ivoire project (2026–2030), backed by the Republic of Korea, was launched in Abidjan on Wednesday by Moustapha Sangaré, chief of staff to the Minister of National Education, Literacy and Technical Education.

The programme focuses on two groups: children who are out of school or have dropped out, and illiterate adults. Around 13% of children in Côte d’Ivoire are not enrolled in school, according to UNESCO.

Two-track approach

The project combines catch-up education for children with literacy programmes for adults.

Authorities plan to set up 150 bridging classes for children aged 9 to 14 who have left or never entered the school system, alongside 45 literacy centres targeting women, youth and other vulnerable groups.

The programme will be rolled out in the Lagunes, Lacs and Savanes regions. Initial deployment in 2026 will cover the Abidjan 2 and Abidjan 4 education districts, with 20 bridging classes and 10 literacy centres.

“The BRIDGE project will expand access to literacy for adults, women and young people in both urban and rural areas who did not have the opportunity to attend school,” said Aboudou Soro N’golo, secretary-general of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Commission for UNESCO.

Côte d’Ivoire is the first West African country to join the initiative, which is already being implemented in Burundi and Cameroon.

Beyond education

Officials say the programme is part of broader efforts to improve social inclusion and support development goals.

“This partnership reflects a shared ambition to strengthen literacy and non-formal education for vulnerable populations, while contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive and equitable quality education,” Sangaré said.

The programme comes amid persistent challenges in access to education. A 2025 literacy survey found that illiteracy rates exceed 50% in 11 regions, including 71% in Folon and 68% in Bounkani.

A 2024 study published in the journal Mu Kara Sani found that less than 1% of the education ministry’s budget is allocated to non-formal education, highlighting structural underinvestment.

Previous bridging programmes have shown results. In the 2022–2023 school year, 166 such programmes supported 4,932 children, including 2,661 girls, according to government data.

However, UNESCO warns that Côte d’Ivoire remains at risk of rising dropout rates in the coming years, partly due to declining international aid for education.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou