Business & Money | Tuesday 14 July, 2015 4:31 pm |

The countdown has started, 10 billion CFA francs will be soon released to launch the first phase of the project. This priority funding has been provided ahead of the release of the 100 billion CFA francs needed to complete the whole of the project.

 

This first part, made available to the Ivorian Government by the Moroccan bank Attijariwafa Bank, will be used to finalise the technical studies and to launch the priority work required to provide flood protection and depollution solutions for the bay. 

 

In connection with the future phases of the project, Cocody Bay, a highly symbolic location in Abidjan, will benefit from the construction of dams, bridges and road infrastructure, the development of a marina and port works and the development of an urban park. The project, jointly managed by Marchica Med, a Moroccan State Enterprise and the Ivorian Government, will be delivered in 2019.

 

The visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to Abidjan in June 2015 - a historic phase of the project to protect and develop Cocody Bay.

 

In connection with the visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to Côte d’Ivoire, a ceremony to present the project to the Sovereign and His Excellency the President Alassane Ouattara was held in Abidjan on 3 June.

 

Over the course of this event, the operational arrangements of the project were drawn up and four agreements were signed to this effect. These agreements serve to highlight the innovative character of the project via the implementation of a pilot co-development model.

 

 

A project which is a symbol of a dynamic and radiant Africa that is ready to embrace its future.

As a result of the initiatives of His Majesty the King and those of His Excellency the President Alassane Ouattara, the project to protect and develop Cocody Bay constitutes a historic opportunity, which will allow skilled people from both Ivory Coast and Morocco, in all sectors, to work together to shape their common future. 

 

The participatory approach adopted in designing the project, the values of long-term development that it embodies, and the innovative operational arrangements agreed to ensure its completion will result in an exemplary partnership between the two Nations. 

This co-development model will be further strengthened via deployment throughout the continent and an opening up to the world as a whole via triangular partnerships.

 

"(…) Africa must trust Africa. Our continent does not need assistance as much as mutually profitable partnerships. Rather than humanitarian aid, it is human and social development projects, that our Continent needs…"

 

Extract from the speech of H.M. King Mohammed VI,

24 February 2014 in Abidjan.

 

 

An environmentally-responsible project  that offers many opportunities. 

 

After having experienced increased pollution and repeated flooding, Cocody Bay is now suffering from serious environmental degradation. The primary aim of the project is to provide a sustainable solution to the problem of the bay pollution and the waters flowing into it. The latter will be depolluted, reforested and redeveloped into a green belt of more than 3,000 hectares.

 

The project also includes solutions to depollute the Ébrié lagoon. A renewal system incorporating new estuaries at Petit Bassam and Grand Bassam will be implemented to significantly improve the quality of the waters of the lagoon. Abidjanians will thus be able to live in a healthy environment and it will be possible to develop a number of activities involving small-scale fishing in the lagoon.

 

This significant project also provides for the development of an ambitious programme of sports, cultural activities, entertainment and commercial facilities for the inhabitants of Abidjan. They will supplement the range of attractive locations available in Abidjan and will ensure that it maintains its position as a leading regional tourist destination.