Ivory Coast aims to mobilize additional funding from the French Development Agency (AFD) to address the increase in student numbers and accelerate the transformation of its higher education system.
The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Adama Diawara, received on September 28 in Abidjan Florian Raffatin, the new Director General of AFD Côte d’Ivoire. The discussions focused on several projects requiring additional technical and financial support.
Housing, IUT, and Short Courses at the Heart of Needs
Among the priorities presented are the increase in accommodation capacity, the development of University Institutes of Technology, and the creation of shorter, more vocational training programs, particularly in agriculture and animal and plant production.
The ministry also mentioned the technological university project, designed to bring training programs closer to the needs of the labor market, as well as the reform of the BTS, entrepreneurship, and the strengthening of digital skills.
The AFD has been involved in Ivorian higher education since 2013. According to Florian Raffatin, approximately 200 million euros have already been mobilized in this sector in the form of aid and support.
Among the projects mentioned are a 200-bed university residence at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute in Yamoussoukro and a continuing education center in Cocody-Danga capable of accommodating up to 4,000 learners.
The government now wishes to expand these investments to accommodate the growth in staff numbers while improving the professional integration of graduates.
