Moroccan businesses are looking to expand their investments in Côte d’Ivoire after more than 100 companies joined a business mission to support the country’s new five-year development plan. The delegation was led by Mehdi Tazi, President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), at the Consultative Group Meetings for Côte d’Ivoire’s National Development Programme (PND) 2026 to 2030.
Speaking during the event’s Investors’ Day, Tazi said the plan shows how important the private sector will be to the country’s future.
“The expected share of private sector financing, estimated at more than 70% of the programme, confirms the decisive role of business in Côte d’Ivoire’s economic transformation,” he said.
Tazi said Côte d’Ivoire is one of the biggest destinations for Moroccan investment in Africa. Moroccan foreign direct investment reached 1.24 billion dirhams in 2024.
Moroccan companies already operate in banking, telecommunications, fertilisers, real estate, construction, energy, pharmaceuticals, service centres and the sugar industry.
Tazi said Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire should work more closely through industrial partnerships, co-investments and joint ventures, especially in agribusiness, energy, infrastructure, healthcare, tourism and technology.
“We want to sustainably mobilise the Moroccan private sector around the priorities of the PND 2026 to 2030 by identifying major projects, partnerships between Moroccan and Ivorian companies, and investments that create value and jobs,” he said.
During the meetings, Moroccan companies met government officials and business leaders from Côte d’Ivoire to discuss projects under the development plan and explore investment opportunities.
Tazi also met Ahmed Cisse, President of the General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI). The two agreed to update the Morocco Côte d’Ivoire Economic Impulse Group so it supports the priorities of the new development plan.
He also held talks with African Development Bank President Sidi Ould Tah on new financing tools and guarantee schemes to help African businesses and exporters access funding.
Another meeting with Nathalie Kouassi Akon, IFC Director General for West Africa, focused on attracting more private investment and supporting major projects across the continent.
Côte d’Ivoire has been one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies, with average annual GDP growth of between 6% and 7% over the past decade. Its new development plan expects more than 70% of its funding to come from the private sector, creating new opportunities for investors, including Moroccan companies.
