Ivory Coast on Monday launched the construction of a new container terminal in the Port of Abidjan, one of Africa’s largest and economic centers, supplying 90% of the country’s foreign trade. After refilling of approx. 30 hectares begins a new phase and should last 18 months. It will consist of the installation of superstructures and equipment at the new terminal.
With our special correspondent in Abidjan, Stanislas Ndayishimiye
After the completion of the work within a year and a half the port of Abidjan will be able to accommodate ships carrying up to 15,000 containers instead of the current 3,500. This will be a change of a significant dimension, according to Hien Sié, its CEO: “The port of Abidjan will have in terms of ship reception, capacity and infrastructure that will allow it to compete with all the other ports today on African continent. “
An important step forward for its attractiveness by capturing more traffic from countries that do not have access to the sea, such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. “The investment program that is underway once completed will inevitably increase our share because we will have competitive and commercial advantages to offer our operators.”
The port of Abidjan secures 90% of Côte d’Ivoire’s foreign trade. The management of the second container terminal has been transferred to the “Côte d’Ivoire Terminal”, owned by the Bolloré Ports consortium and APM Terminal, a subsidiary of Maersk Group.
Global funding was provided through a public-private partnership. That’s about 600 billion CFA francs or almost 915 million euros. The Ivorian state has invested more than half of this amount: 334 billion CFA francs or almost 510 million euros.
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