WASHINGTON, June 2, 2017 — Today, the World Bank approved a $120 million credit for the Cote d’Ivoire Infrastructure for Urban Development and Competitiveness of Secondary Cities Project (Projet d’infrastructures pour le développement urbain et la compétitivité des villes secondaires - PIDUCAS). This project will create an enabling environment for the growth of local enterprises and make the cities more attractive to investors and workers. Coupled with direct support to SMEs, these interventions are expected to provide the building blocks for investment growth and job creation in the medium to long term.
Beneficiaries under this project will include public and private sector actors, including government agencies, and the municipalities of Bouaké and San Pedro. But also private sector operators—individuals, firms, and cooperatives—who benefit from the provision of the entrepreneurship program in and around Bouaké and San Pedro, women in particular, many of whom are involved in small businesses and production.
“Côte d’Ivoire has recorded strong growth performance since 2012. To make it sustainable, a new inclusive development model will require more competitive secondary cities to support investment, growth, and poverty reduction throughout the country. The development of secondary economic centers is one key priority of the Government’s new “Plan National de Développement” (PND) for the 2016-2020 period,” said Pierre Laporte, the World Bank Country Director for Côte d’Ivoire.
The Ivorian Government aims to start with the cities of Bouaké and San Pedro which ranked second and third most competitive respectively among the country’s 14 districts, immediately after Abidjan. The two cities are also identified as key nodes for strategic development: San Pedro is one of three global connector cities (together with Abidjan and Yamassoukro), while Bouaké is considered a leading regional connector in Côte d’Ivoire.
* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 77 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.3 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 112 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $19 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent going to Africa.
