• Côte d’Ivoire approved private investment rises 9.6% in 2025
• Total reaches 812 billion CFA francs, led by agriculture
• Reforms planned under Agenda 2026-2028 to boost investment

Côte d'Ivoire's investment promotion agency (CEPICI) reported a 9.6% increase in approved private investment in 2025, with total volume reaching 812 billion CFA francs ($1.45 billion), up from 741 billion CFA francs in 2024.

The announcement was made on Thursday in Abidjan during the institution's annual review.

"This progress is mainly driven by the agriculture and agropastoral sector. We are also seeing growth among small and medium-sized enterprises involved in raw materials processing. The services, telecommunications, information technology, audiovisual production and training sectors have also played a significant role in supporting this growth," said Solange Amichia, director general of CEPICI.

For 2026, the agency said it would step up reforms through the rollout of its Agenda 2026–2028. The focus will be on streamlining investment procedures, developing industrial clusters outlined in the National Development Plan 2021–2025, and advancing renewable energy projects.

Côte d'Ivoire has recorded average growth exceeding 6% since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in West Africa. Improvements to the business climate have attracted greater foreign direct investment. Moody's maintains a Ba3 rating with a stable outlook; Fitch Ratings has upgraded the country to BB with a stable outlook; and S&P Global Ratings assigns a BB-minus rating with a stable outlook, citing economic resilience.

The government has introduced reforms aimed at improving the business environment, including the Programme d'appui à l'amélioration du climat des affaires en Côte d'Ivoire (PACA-CI), launched in 2023 to stimulate investment and accelerate structural transformation.

Cumulative private investment mobilized under the National Development Plan 2021-2025 stands at 4.242 trillion CFA francs, representing 66% of the 6.4 trillion CFA franc target set for the period, the director general said.

Ingrid Haffiny