• Program targets 5.2M people via cooperatives and training

• FAO backs effort; coverage in rural areas remains limited

The Ivorian government has approved a 187.4 billion XOF ($334 million) program to extend social protection to workers in the agricultural and informal sectors. The plan, announced after a Council of Ministers meeting on October 2, 2025, will be implemented with support from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Known as the Social Protection Investment Program for the Agricultural and Informal Sectors (PIPS), the initiative seeks to bring coverage to an estimated 5.2 million workers. Around 7,000 agricultural and artisanal cooperatives will help identify beneficiaries.

The program has two main components: boosting incomes through agricultural and informal-sector value chains, and training workers while upgrading basic social infrastructure to facilitate enrollment.

PIPS forms part of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Social Protection Strategy (SNPS 2024-2028), which aims to expand coverage for vulnerable groups, particularly rural communities. Development partners are expected to finance 1.7 billion XOF of the total budget.

The FAO has welcomed the initiative but noted that social protection coverage in Côte d’Ivoire remains limited, especially for agricultural workers in rural areas.

Lydie Mobio