Côte d'Ivoire is one of the main grain importers in West Africa, along with Nigeria and Senegal. Since 2020, the country has embarked on a project to build and develop a new grain terminal in the port of Abidjan to improve its handling capacity.

In Côte d'Ivoire, Kacou Léon Adom, Minister of Foreign Affairs, signed a 10.2 billion Fcfa ($17 million) financing agreement with Ikkatai Katsuya, the Japanese Ambassador to the country, on March 7. The funds will be used to finance the second phase of the project to build a new grain terminal at the Port of Abidjan, which is due to open in May 2023.

According to information relayed by Agence ivoirienne de presse (AIP), this new financial support is specifically aimed at the construction of the Watchtower, essential for the management of the grain terminal. "This loan is designed to meet the growing demand for cereals in Côte d'Ivoire and the hinterland countries of the Sahel region, and to stimulate the distribution of foodstuffs in the sub-region", said Mr. Ikkatai.

Built on a 9.5-hectare site, the new grain terminal at the Port of Abidjan can accommodate large vessels with payloads ranging from 55,000 to 70,000 tonnes. The first phase of this project cost around 70 billion Fcfa ($116.7 million).

In 2021, Côte d'Ivoire imported over 2.3 million tonnes of cereals, 60% of which was rice, according to data compiled by BCEAO.

Stéphanas Assocle