China’s megaprojects transformed Ivory Coast. Now it’s own role is changing

In Abidjan, the commercial capital and economic engine of Ivory Coast, the extent of Chinese infrastructure development is a permanent feature of the transport and trade networks.

This includes the Alassane Ouattara Bridge, commonly known as the Cocody Bridge, which links the affluent eastern district of Cocody to the business centre of Plateau.

The expansion of the Port of Abidjan’s second container terminal and the construction of the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium also highlight the scale of Beijing’s involvement. For more than a decade, such megaprojects have formed the backbone of China’s presence in the West African country.

Now, according to Ivorian officials, that relationship is transforming. Beijing’s companies are setting up factories, processing plants, and even pharmaceutical hubs, moving from being contractors to long-term stakeholders in one of Africa’s fastest growing economies.

“We increasingly have Chinese operators present in the Ivorian ecosystem, building commercial and industrial enterprises,” Souleymane Diarrassouba, the country’s planning and development minister, said in Abidjan last week on the sidelines of an investor conference.

Fifteen years ago, Chinese operators often arrived only when they had tenders for specific projects, such as road construction, he said. The economy had long been dominated by French companies, a legacy of Ivory Coast’s colonial history, but the landscape is diversifying as the government seeks to broaden its pool of international partners.

South China Morning Post