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CÔTE D’IVOIRE – Ogp activities- Côte d’Ivoire 2021, a positive assessment!
The official ceremony to present the review of OGP 2021 activities took place on Monday, February 28, 2022, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Trade and Industry, OGP Côte d’Ivoire Focal Point.
The Côte d’Ivoire Technical Committee of the OGP took stock of its activities on Monday 28 February. The official ceremony, chaired by the Minister of Trade and Industry, OGP Focal Point in Côte d’Ivoire, provided an opportunity to share the results of OGP 2021 activities. The aim was to present the results of the main actions carried out and the prospects for 2022. But also to gather the instructions and recommendations of the OGP Focal Point.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the Chair of the OGP Technical Committee, Ms.Koné Mariama welcomed all the guests on behalf of the OGP-TC and thanked them for their interest in the Initiative. She then recalled the objectives of the OGP, as well as the main work carried out by Côte d’Ivoire since its accession to this initiative.
She also shared the results of the activities carried out in 2021 that focused on the extension and awareness of the OGP; the monitoring and implementation of the National Action Plan (PAN) 2020-2022; the collection of themes for the development of the PAN 2022-2024; Côte d’Ivoire’s active participation in regional and international meetings; and the revision of the institutional framework.
Madam Chair, TB-OGP noted that overall, the action matrix developed in 2021 was followed. And that “although the results are positive, some weaknesses have been identified in terms of the availability of resource persons or focal points, but also budgetary constraints that limit training and awareness activities.”
Ms Koné then made recommendations concerning the strengthening of exchanges with the holders of commitments; the training of the member administrations of the OGP TC; The awareness of the Key Ministries so that they are forces of proposal for the commitments; the organisation of public consultations in person and in virtual mode in order to reach as many citizens as possible; the strengthening of mass awareness, the involvement of civil society organisations and the media, the introduction of the principles of substitution in the texts and finally the sharing of experience with peer countries .
She finally recalled that as every two years, this year is a challenge year for Côte d’Ivoire because we have to finalize our National Action Plan currently underway on 30 June 2022, develop the end-of-implementation self-assessment report for the plan and develop the NAP 4 that will cover the period 2022 to 2024.”
Following him at the desk, Mr Tingain Julien, Coordinator of the Ivorian Civil Society Platform for the OGP, stressed that the OGP is, for Ivorian civil society, The aim is to propose recommendations aimed at improving public services and the living conditions of the population, in accordance with the principles and methodology of co-creation.”
This ceremony was also an opportunity for the representative of PAGOF (Programme d’Appui aux Gouvernements Ouvertes Francophones), Ms Nkoa Nicole, to congratulate Côte d’Ivoire for the positive dynamism maintained by the OGP TC, under the leadership of the Minister of Trade and Industry, which allowed Côte d’Ivoire to maintain its eligibility score stable.
Emmanuel Debroise, Director of AFD has reaffirmed the commitment of the French Development Agency to further support the development of transparent and collaborative public action in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Minister of Trade and Industry has, for his part, assessed the overall performance of OGP 2021 activities as positive, with full buy-in from stakeholders. However, he called on OGP actors “to continue their collaborative efforts to achieve even better results and to bring the proper stamp to OGP Côte d’Ivoire.” The Minister did not fail to encourage the members of the OGP TC to continue their work of conducting the process on a daily basis.
The ceremony was also furnished by the video intervention of Mr Paul Maassen, Representative of the international OGP body. He expressed his satisfaction with Côte d’Ivoire’s contribution at the OGP World Summit before affirming the unwavering support of the OGP’s international bodies to our country and their willingness to help civil society to become more involved in the process of cocreation. He concluded with an invitation to produce a more ambitious 4th Action Plan, taking into account the challenges of the moment.
Another highlight of this ceremony, the presentation of 2021 activities and perspectives 2022, made by Angoua Chantal, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Trade and Industry, which allowed the audience to learn more about the actions carried out by the OGP Technical Committee.
This year’s innovation is the organization of Awards, presented by Mr Abdou, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Communication, Media and La Francophonie. It consisted of rewarding nominees in several categories. Thus, the price of the commitment with a high impact on the population came back to the Virtual University of Côte d’Ivoire (UVCI); that of the category of respect of the stages/time of the commitment, to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Post, and the category of best contribution to the NGO Social Justice.
Among the personalities, in addition to the Minister of Trade and Industry, one could note the presence of the Minister of Budget and State Portfolio; of representatives of the Ministers of Health, Economy and Finance and of the Interior and Security; representatives of the ambassadors of the European Union, Canada and Great Britain; members of ministers’ offices; representatives of state institutions and agencies; Directors General of UVICOCI (Union of Cities and Municipalities of Côte d’Ivoire) and UVCI (Virtual University of Côte d’Ivoire), partners of the OGP; the Director of AFD (Agence Française de Développement); and the Coordinator of PAGOF (Projet d’Appui aux Gouvernement Ouvert Francophones).
The presidency of Togo has announced that the project to exploit the manganese mine of Nayega, located in the Savanes region in the north of the country, is entering its operational phase. According to a statement issued on June 10, 2025, production is scheduled to start at the end of June 2025, with an initial volume of 4,000 tons per month, which should gradually double to reach 8,000 tons per month.
Keras Resources is the technical partner retained by the Togolese government to carry out this project. A statement from Keras, relayed by the presidency, details that the company signed a cooperation agreement in 2023 with the Togolese state, owner of the mine through the Togolese Manganese Company (STM). Under the terms of this agreement, Keras will receive a remuneration of 1.5% of the mine’s gross revenue for three years for its advisory services, as well as 6% for brokering services.
The reserves of the Nayega mine are estimated at 8.5 million tonnes, which would allow exploitation over a period of 11 years. The authorities of Lomé welcome the expected contribution of the mine to the national budget, a benefit that should be strengthened by the rigorous management of the generated revenues, as indicated by our colleagues from Agence Afrique.
With a growing global demand for manganese, particularly in steel alloys and renewable energy technologies, Togo is seeking to assert itself as an essential supplier of this strategic ore. This positioning could play a catalytic role for the national economy, always according to information from the Africa Agency.
Source: senego / Photo credit: Republicoftogo.com
The Gabonese government decided on Friday to ban the import of broilers in order to promote national poultry production and ensure food security, according to the final communiqué of the council of ministers chaired by the head of state, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
The ban will be effective from 1 January 2027, thus leaving a period of 18 months (1 year and 6 months) for actors in the sector to structure themselves, invest and prepare to meet national demand.
“This measure aims to restore domestic poultry production, boost agricultural investment, reduce food dependency and strengthen the trade balance,” the government hopes. Gabon also hopes to foster “the emergence of a network of rural jobs, the rise in quality of products consumed locally and the creation of an economic ecosystem around this sector”.
The government has also planned a detailed operational plan to be presented within 45 days by the ministers responsible for economy and trade.
Libreville dreams of reducing its dependence on poultry imports and strengthening the country’s food security. In addition, the promotion of local poultry farming should have a positive impact on rural areas, generating jobs and contributing to the development of a vibrant poultry ecosystem.
Imported frozen chicken is the most consumed food in Gabon because of its low price and packaging ready to be thrown into a pot.
“The star of the freezer” is how Gabonese people refer to frozen chicken because it is often the only food, if not the default food, found in the freezers of Gabonese families.
Frozen chicken and meat are generally imported from Latin America and Europe. Their massive presence on the market has destroyed local production.
The Council of Ministers also announced a ban on exporting crude manganese from 1 January 2029. The objective is to promote local industrial development, create jobs and maximize the value of this resource, of which Gabon is the world’s second largest producer.
Sources: gabonactu.com
Mauritania is in the spotlight. On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Sidi Ould Tah was elected president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), at the annual meeting of the institution held in Abidjan. He succeeds Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, in office since 2015.
His election came after a hard-fought duel against Samuel Munzele Maimbo of Zambia, who finished in second place. The election, which was marked by major geopolitical and economic issues, took place against a background of high expectations regarding governance and development financing on the continent.
The Senegalese Amadou Hott, long perceived as one of the favorites, finishes in third place, followed by the South African Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala. Despite significant diplomatic support, notably for Hott, the momentum in favour of Sidi Ould Tah has prevailed in the last few rounds.
Former minister and general manager of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Sidi Ould Tah is recognized for his experience and strategic vision. He will officially take office on 1 September 2025.
Photo credit: Forbes Africa
