Abidjan, May 14, 2026 – The Ivorian Minister of Trade, Industry, and Handicrafts, Kalil Konaté, reaffirmed Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to accelerating its industrial transformation during the “Invest in Côte d’Ivoire” panel, held as part of the Africa CEO Forum 2026, which took place from May 15 to 16 in Kigali, Rwanda.
Speaking alongside several members of the Ivorian government and representatives from the African private sector during the “Invest in Côte d’Ivoire” panel, the Minister stated that the National Development Plan (NDP) remains the guiding principle for government action.
“The NDP is the foundation.” “The priority projects of the Ivorian government are listed there,” he stated, emphasizing the strategic vision of the Ivorian authorities to strengthen the country’s economic attractiveness.
Addressing investment opportunities that are still largely untapped, Mr. Konaté highlighted the potential for local processing of raw materials.
“Côte d’Ivoire is the world champion of cocoa and the African champion of cashew nuts. These are opportunities to move from primary to secondary and tertiary processing,” he affirmed.
The minister particularly stressed the need to further develop the local chocolate industry. “Today, we are cocoa grinders. We need to go further, to move towards chocolate bars and more production of finished products,” he maintained.
He also advocated for a reduction in imports through local production. “Everything we import that we can manufacture locally, we must encourage the private sector to do so with specific support,” he added.
Looking ahead to the next five years, Kalil Konaté set an ambitious goal for the Ivorian economy: to increase the industrial sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 30%, compared to approximately 20% currently.
The “Invest in Côte d’Ivoire” panel brought together several prominent figures, including Souleymane Diarrassouba and Kalil Konaté, to discuss the challenges related to investment, industrialization, and improving the business environment in Côte d’Ivoire.
