By 2024, Côte d’Ivoire had invested over 250 billion CFA francs into the digital sector, generating nearly 3,000 direct jobs and tens of thousands of indirect employment opportunities, according to Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé.
These investments have propelled the country’s digital development, notably increasing mobile phone subscriptions to 58.7 million, equating to a penetration rate of 185%, a record high, alongside notable growth in internet access and mobile money services. These achievements are credited to a strong partnership between the government and private sector operators committed to expanding connectivity nationwide.
These advancements are part of the broader National Digital Development Strategy 2021-2025, which encompasses 32 priority reforms and a total investment plan of 2,000 billion CFA francs (around USD 3.3 billion). For 2024 alone, the Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitisation has been allocated 55.6 billion CFA francs — a significant amount but still insufficient to meet the country’s ambitious digital goals, reflecting the scale of the effort needed.
While progress has been made, challenges remain. The government aims to eliminate the remaining 550 ‘black spots’ in network coverage by the end of 2025 to achieve universal digital access. Other key priorities include decreasing the cost of digital services, modernising technical training programmes, fostering local financing for innovation, and safeguarding digital sovereignty, rights, and freedoms.
