The village of Akouédo, once known for housing one of Ivory Coast’s largest public dumps, has emerged as the symbolic epicenter of a new national movement toward urban cleanliness and sustainable sanitation.
The transformation was marked by the launch of the country’s National Sanitation Week, which officially began with a ceremony held at the newly inaugurated Akouédo Village Urban Park.
The event highlighted the government’s growing commitment to tackling public health challenges posed by poor sanitation and urban waste. Authorities used the occasion to call for greater citizen participation in maintaining cleaner cities and improving environmental conditions across the nation.
Urban sanitation has long been a pressing issue in Ivory Coast, with overcrowded cities and rapid population growth straining outdated waste management systems.
The former Akouédo landfill, which had operated for decades near Abidjan, symbolized the scale of the crisis—its closure and transformation into a public park now stands as a testament to what targeted reform and community mobilization can achieve.
“Akouédo was once a threat to public health,” one official remarked during the ceremony. “Today, it is a symbol of hope and a model for other cities.”
The government emphasized that National Sanitation Week is not just about cleanup campaigns—it is an effort to cultivate lasting behavioral change. Throughout the week, workshops, community outreach programs, and education campaigns will be rolled out in urban centers nationwide. These efforts aim to instill a culture of hygiene and environmental stewardship, especially among the youth.
The Akouédo park project was realized through collaboration between local authorities, environmental agencies, and international partners. The space now serves as a green recreational zone for residents, replacing a site once synonymous with pollution and disease.
Officials hope the success of Akouédo will inspire similar initiatives across Ivory Coast, as the country seeks to build cleaner, safer, and more sustainable urban environments for future generations.
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