00:02Turkish Airlines presents Business Africa
00:10Hello and welcome to this edition of Business Africa.
00:13I'm your host, Ruth Lago. The top stories this week.
00:18Cote d'Ivoire has secured more than 80 billion dollars in international commitments
00:22to finance its 2026-2030 national development plan.
00:26What factors are driving such strong support from donors and investors?
00:32Corruption is declining across Africa.
00:35Countries such as Rwanda and Seychelles rank among the continent's top performers,
00:39according to the latest Moe Ibrahim Index.
00:42And in Mauritania, where the fishing industry supports more than 300,000 people,
00:47fish talks are becoming increasingly scarce.
00:50The Imuranguin, a community of fishermen,
00:52which centuries-old traditions are working to preserve their unique way of life.
00:59With an average economic growth of 6.5%, Cote d'Ivoire continues its economic transformation
01:05by placing the private sector at the heart of its development strategy.
01:10The recent donor roundtable held in Abidjan reflects growing investment confidence.
01:15What are the key factors strengthening the country's economic appeal?
01:19Here is our report.
01:22With just over 80 billion dollars in commitments announced by international donors,
01:28Ivory Coast is setting out its ambition to become an upper-middle income country.
01:34Minister for Planning, Suleiman Diarrasuba, credits the conditions created to attract investors.
01:45Since 2011, it has been essential to achieve peace and stability.
01:56I believe this was the first condition needed to encourage economic operators to invest in the country.
02:03Secondly, it was important for us to reform our judicial system.
02:11This is why we established the Abidjan Commercial Court, followed by the Abidjan Court of Appeal,
02:19as well as various mediation and arbitration bodies,
02:24so that when business people face disputes, they can turn to specialized courts to resolve their issues.
02:33The national development plan is estimated to cost 209 billion dollars,
02:40of which more than 70 percent is expected to come from the private sector.
02:44The funds are intended to strengthen security, modernize agriculture,
02:49support domestic businesses and finance major infrastructure projects.
02:54Under this national development plan, we're counting on the private sector to contribute 70 percent of the funding.
03:01I believe that this commitment goes beyond simply financing infrastructure.
03:06We're relying on the private sector because it's this sector that has the capacity to transform the economic fabric.
03:14But challenges remain, spreading investment more evenly beyond the capital, Abidjan,
03:21reducing the country's dependence on raw materials such as cocoa and oil, and reducing poverty.
03:29As Cote d'Ivoire continues its economic transformation, the energy sector is playing a strategic role.
03:35Petro Ivoire is a good example of the emergence of strong national companies.
03:39We're joined by its chief executive officer, Sebastian Kajio Morokro.
03:44Petro Ivoire is now one of Cote d'Ivoire's leading distributors of petroleum and gas products.
03:50What are the main factors behind the company's longevity in such a highly competitive market?
03:57We already have a good understanding of the local market since we've been in this business since 1994.
04:03That's 32 years.
04:06We were the first Ivorian company to enter this sector.
04:09Back then, there were only multinationals.
04:12And perhaps it's precisely these challenges that we've had to overcome.
04:17The adversity we've had to overcome has given us a very good understanding of the local market.
04:22And we have a very clear vision to be a leader in energy supply in Africa.
04:27This vision drives us every day to do better for the benefits of our clients and consumers.
04:34As expanding Africa's refining capacity become a strategic priority in reducing the continent's dependence on imported fuels.
04:43Yes, there is a lot of talk about energy sovereignty.
04:46And it is indeed a paradox in some cases where we see large-scale oil production alongside significant imports of
04:53refined products to serve domestic markets.
04:57So it's important to note that, as we saw during the last crisis, all countries that lacked sovereignty in these
05:04areas were inevitably hit much harder than others.
05:12So it is important that we have enough refineries in Africa, or at least refineries large enough to ensure the
05:19energy sovereignty of our nations.
05:22The Dangote refinery is a great example, and other projects by the Dangote group are underway.
05:32We also have the SIR refinery here, which is highly efficient and already helps ensure Côte d'Ivoire's energy sovereignty.
05:45Could tensions in the Middle East accelerate investment in energy infrastructure across Africa?
05:50Yes, of course. In any case, every crisis can provide opportunities or spark new lines of thought.
05:58And that is often the case.
06:00When there is a crisis, it allows us to bring certain issues to the forefront that are sometimes overlooked.
06:12So I think that the situation we are currently facing does indeed allow us to ask the right questions and
06:19perhaps reorient some of our priorities.
06:24Our ambition is already to become a regional player in the medium term, to diversify our energy supply activities,
06:31and to truly become a multi-energy player.
06:35And not just the fuel, and of course in the local market.
06:39Since we are in third place, that means there are still two spots to fill.
06:44So we can also become a leader in our markets.
06:49Thank you very much, Mr. Marukro.
06:51Thank you for the invitation.
06:54In its latest reports on governance in Africa, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation highlights progress made across the continent, particularly in
07:02the private sector.
07:04Rwanda has maintained the top position in the ranking between 2016, while Seychelles and Burkina Faso are also among the
07:11best performing countries in the fight against corruption.
07:15Rwanda has retained the top position it has held since 2016, scoring 67.6 points in 2025, an increase of
07:252.6 points over the past decade.
07:27The Seychelles recorded the continent's strongest performance, gaining 26.3 points and climbing 12 places in the rankings over the
07:35last 10 years, to join Rwanda at the top with an identical score.
07:40Behind the two leaders, Mauritius ranks third with 65.7 points, followed by Senegal in fourth place with 64 points,
07:49reaffirming its status as one of West Africa's highest performing countries.
07:54Benin rounds out the top five ahead of Botswana and Namibia. Burkina Faso stands out among its partners in their
08:01lines of sales teams. With 55.6 points, the country ranks 10th on the continent.
08:08Across Africa, the average score rose slightly from 38.6 to 39.1 points between 2016 and 2025, following a
08:18decline that lasted until 2020.
08:20This overall improvement masks significant disparities. Performance deteriorated in 28 countries, representing nearly 59% of Africa's population, while only
08:3226 countries recorded improvements over the same period.
08:38It is a paradise under the threat from overfishing and climate change. Bangdagan Bay is the traditional fishing ground of
08:46the Amarongwan, the only community authorized to live within the protected national park.
08:52They have preserved an ancestral fishing technique that remains central to their identity.
09:00Muhammad is part of the Amarongwan community, a desert people who for centuries have developed fishing practices in harmony with
09:09nature at the crossroads between the Sahara and the Atlantic Ocean.
09:14Since ancient times, the Amarongan Bay has mastered the Amarongan Bay has mastered the art of fishing. They guide fish
09:19into their nets gently and precisely. Today, this tradition has disappeared. Anyone can go out to the sea even without
09:28being a captain. Set up 15 nets and fish without any method. The fish, frightened, flee these practices that do
09:37not respect their natural habitat.
09:41Fishing in the park is strictly regulated. Fishing in the park is strictly regulated, but the combined effects of climate
09:46change and overfishing outside the protected area pose a direct threat.
09:55Today, catches in the Amarongan fishing areas represent less than 30% of what they were 10 years ago. The
10:01pressure on fish resources is undeniable.
10:07On the women's side, they continue to handle processing activities, such as drying fish, extracting oil, and making jewelry from
10:19fish bones.
10:22The Amarongan way of life from the past has almost disappeared.
10:30What remains is very basic. There are no more fish, and financial resources are lacking.
10:40The Bandagin National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989, and located on Mauritania's northern coast, is home to
10:51around 4,000 Imragan people, the only population authorized to live within the reserve.
11:01That's all for this edition of Business Africa. Thank you for watching. See you soon on africanews and africanews.com.
11:16Business Africa was presented by Turkish Airlines.
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