• Côte d’Ivoire approved a $152 million loan to fund the first phase of its digital acceleration project.

• The project targets broadband expansion, digital public services, and skills development, with a focus on youth and women.

• Internet penetration remains limited despite wide network coverage, creating gaps in access to digital public services.

The Ivorian government approved a loan of CFA83.3 billion, or $152 million, during a Council of Ministers meeting held on Wednesday, February 4. The funding will finance the first phase of the Digital Acceleration Project in Côte d’Ivoire, known as PADCI.

The project aims to strengthen inclusive and resilient use of broadband Internet and digital services across selected social sectors.

Authorities said the project will provide technical assistance and equipment to create and operationalize digital agencies and artificial intelligence governance bodies. The program will also support development of advanced and intermediate digital skills.

The government will target young people and women as priority beneficiaries of the skills component.

“At the end of the project, this initiative will accelerate the digitization of public services in key sectors, expand broadband connectivity to public institutions such as schools, health centers, social centers, municipalities, sub-prefectures, courts, post offices, and regional administrations, and improve access to digital public services for remote and vulnerable populations,” authorities said.

The initiative aligns with the government’s strategy to use digital technology as a driver of socio-economic development. The executive branch expects digital public services to bring public administration closer to citizens while increasing state revenues.

In December 2025, Côte d’Ivoire had already made 232 administrative public services available online. These services covered strategic sectors for inclusion and governance, including civil registration, justice, education, health, and agriculture.

The broadband rollout planned under the first phase of PADCI fits into this broader digitalization strategy.

Efforts to expand access to digital public services face several challenges. These challenges include Internet coverage in remote areas, availability of connected devices, affordability of Internet services, and basic digital skills.

According to the International Telecommunication Union, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks covered 98.9%, 98.3%, and 93.7% of Côte d’Ivoire’s population, respectively. Despite these high coverage rates, hundreds of areas still lack network access.

The ITU estimated Internet penetration in Côte d’Ivoire at 40.7% in 2023.

At the international level, Côte d’Ivoire ranked 124th out of 193 countries in the 2024 United Nations E-Government Development Index. The country scored 0.5587 out of 1.

Côte d’Ivoire ranked above the African average but below the global average. In cybersecurity, the ITU placed the country in the third tier out of five.

The ITU assessed organizational measures and the regulatory framework as relatively satisfactory. The organization said the country still needs to strengthen technical capacity, skills development, and international cooperation.

Isaac K. Kassouwi