(Ecofin Agency) - Algerian company Cevital, owned by Issad Rebrab announced it would start its expansion across Africa in Cote d’Ivoire as it plans to disburse about 600 billion CFA francs to build an agro-industrial unit there.

This unit, with which the company will position itself on the oilseed crushing, vegetable oil, margarine production, cereal grains stocking, livestock feed production, and local rice processing markets, will lead to the creation of 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in Cote d’Ivoire, Hamed Koffi Zarour, Cevital’s representative in Cote d’Ivoire, told daily Le Patriote.

Yet to set the construction site for the unit, Mr Zarour highlighted that Cevital’s intends for its project to cover 350 hectares and be located in a port area. Construction should take two years, he added.

Cevital chose Cote d’Ivoire because of the good performances of its economy; it is WAEMU’s (West African Monetary Union) leading economy, and for its growing importance as main trade hub in West Africa.

Founded in 1998 by Issad Rebrab, Cevital is Algeria’s largest conglomerate and one of Africa’s biggest companies.

Aaron Akinocho