The Ivorian economy has exhibited high growth since the post-conflict period (2012), with important contributions coming as a result of political stability and the implementation of National Development Plans. Nevertheless, the distributional impact of this growth remains limited, with persistent disparities related to the availability of basic infrastructure, access to training and jobs, and income and poverty levels between urban centres and non-urban areas.
This emerging analysis explores possible entry points in accelerating improvements to living standards in Côte d’Ivoire in an inclusive way. These include maximising value chain opportunities in cocoa, cashew and cotton textile products, which are accessible in nearly all parts of Côte d’Ivoire, in which the country has a comparative advantage and whose exports are currently concentrated in the primary (or unprocessed) stages.
Linking micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in urban and non-urban areas to these value chains will also activate higher employment and induce structural transformation at a wider scale. To activate these linkages, it will be important, especially in non-urban areas, to equip the labour force with quality foundational education, and targeted technical and vocational education and training and apprenticeships; expand MSMEs’ access to affordable credit; and attract and promote foreign direct investment–MSME linkages to enhance MSMEs’ know-how, innovativeness, technology and capital.
