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China expands infrastructure role in Ivory Coast beyond project tenders
The country is shifting from French-dominated infrastructure toward a broader set of international partners, with Chinese operators increasingly building commercial and industrial enterprises, according to the planning and development minister.
Chinese infrastructure development has become a lasting feature of Ivory Coast transport and trade networks in Abidjan, where the Cocody Bridge links the district of Cocody to the business center of Plateau, according to a report by SCMP Economy.
Speaking in Abidjan last week on the sidelines of an investor conference, Souleymane Diarrassouba, the country’s planning and development minister, said Chinese operators are increasingly present in the Ivorian ecosystem and are building commercial and industrial enterprises.
He also contrasted the current presence with 15 years ago, when Chinese operators were more likely to arrive only when they had tenders for specific projects, such as road construction.
The minister said the economy had long been dominated by French companies, but the landscape is changing as the government seeks to broaden its pool of international partners.