Côte d’Ivoire Secures $24 Million for Forest Restoration and Farming

The African Development Bank and the Ivorian government finalized the funding on September 16 in Bouaké. This financial injection, roughly 13.5 billion CFA francs, combines a $6.87 million concessional loan with significant backing from the Climate Investment Funds’ Forest Investment Programme. Local government contributions round out the package at $2.7 million.

Targeting the Gbêkê, Bélier, Iffou, Moronou, and N'Zi regions, the program focuses on tangible environmental and economic outputs. Plans include the production of seven million forest seedlings and the establishment of 6,000 hectares of agroforestry systems. By integrating livestock farming and market gardening, the project seeks to move beyond simple reforestation toward sustainable household income generation. To facilitate this, the mission distributed 100 tricycles to seedling production groups and 23 motorbikes to field extension workers to improve mobility and logistical reach.

Elvire Joëlle Zouzou, representing the Ministry for Water and Forests, emphasized that the success of this phase hinges on efficient implementation and cross-sector collaboration. Tandina Abdoulaye of the African Development Bank noted that the program’s current trajectory aligns with the national development strategy, proving that targeted climate investments can effectively link ecosystem restoration with the immediate needs of local populations.