The plan to extend the Port of Abidjan's cereal terminal is designed to adapt the facilities to the growing demand for cereals. In 2021, Côte d'Ivoire imported over 2.3 million tonnes of cereals, 60% of which was rice, according to BCEAO figures.

The Ivorian government's Council of Ministers recently approved a USD 17 million loan agreement for phase 2 of the grain terminal at the port of Abidjan. This marks an important step in the process of mobilizing financing for this project.

Built between 2020 and 2023, the terminal was commissioned in May 2024, and is due to be extended to increase capacity. Phase 1 saw the construction of a 9.5-hectare infrastructure with a 14-meter-deep quay, with a capacity to handle ships of between 55,000 and 70,000 tonnes of payload.

The project has been developed to meet the growing demand for cereals in Côte d'Ivoire, one of the biggest importers of this commodity in West Africa, along with Nigeria and Senegal.

The infrastructure is also one of the flagship projects in the Port of Abidjan's modernization plan, which includes the construction of a 2nd container terminal, a RORO terminal, and the modernization of the ore and fruit terminals.

Agence Ecofin