Faced with a shortfall of over 836,000 housing units<\/strong>, particularly in urban areas, C\u00f4te d’Ivoire is taking a new step in its social housing policy. On May 21, 2025<\/strong>, the government ratified a USD 69 million loan agreement<\/strong> with the West African Development Bank (BOAD)<\/strong> to finance the construction of 5,500 social housing units<\/strong> in several of the country’s communes. <\/p>\n\n The project is part of the national housing plan<\/strong>, which aims to build 150,000 homes nationwide<\/strong> to meet growing demand while reducing urban deprivation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n Over and above the fight against informal housing, this program also represents a major economic opportunity<\/strong>. By mobilizing local SMEs<\/strong>, it is expected to generate between 750,000 and 1.5 million<\/strong> direct and indirect jobs<\/strong> in the building and public works sector<\/strong>, according to Bruno Nabagn\u00e9 Kon\u00e9, Minister of Urban Planning. This expected dynamism in the building trades could provide a major boost to the Ivorian economy<\/strong>, particularly for young people and low-skilled workers. <\/p>\n\n This model is reminiscent of the Ou\u00e8do<\/strong> project in Benin<\/strong>, where over 3,500 people a day<\/strong> were employed on a similar site, illustrating the potential of large-scale housing projects forprofessional integration<\/strong> and inclusive growth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n The BOAD program complements existing initiatives to provide affordable housing<\/strong> for low-income populations<\/strong>. Government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly emphasized that this approach aims to improve access to housing for vulnerable households<\/strong>, in response to rapid urbanization<\/strong> that far exceeds the current capacity of the formal housing supply. <\/p>\n\n The project also relies on a strengthened public-private partnership<\/strong>, local mobilization of skills<\/strong>, and the establishment of quality standards<\/strong>, all of which are essential to guarantee the program’s sustainability and inclusiveness.<\/p>\n\n With the support of the BOAD, C\u00f4te d’Ivoire is affirming its determination to make social housing a pillar of social and economic development<\/strong>. By combining infrastructure, employment and social inclusion<\/strong>, this program could not only reduce the housing deficit<\/strong>, but also transform the urban landscape<\/strong> and sustainably improve the living conditions of modest populations<\/strong>. However, its success will depend on rigorous management<\/strong>, adherence to deadlines<\/strong> and precise targeting of beneficiaries<\/strong>, all of which are essential if it is to become a model that can be replicated on a regional scale<\/strong>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A concrete response to the urban housing crisis Faced with a shortfall of over 836,000 housing units, particularly in urban areas, C\u00f4te d’Ivoire is taking a new step in its social housing policy. On May 21, 2025, the government ratified a USD 69 million loan agreement with the West African Development Bank (BOAD) to finance […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\nA massive employment driver for the construction industry<\/h3>\n\n
A structuring program for the long term<\/h3>\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n