Ivory Coast’s Prime Minister, Robert Beugré Mambé, has held high-level talks with the Japan-African Union Parliamentary Friendship Association to explore fresh opportunities for collaboration between the two nations.
The meeting took place on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, in Yokohama, Japan, during the 9th edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), which runs from August 20 to 22.
“During the meeting we had with the Japan-Africa parliamentary group, the main focus was to highlight the opportunities for cooperation and business development between Japan and Africa, and particularly between Japan and Côte d’Ivoire,” said Prime Minister Mambé.
Discussions centred on key projects supported by Japan, including the renovation of Cocody University Hospital and Treichville University Hospital, alongside the construction of a mother-and-child hospital complex aligned with the initiative of Côte d’Ivoire’s First Lady.
Mr Mambé also highlighted Japan’s role in improving traffic infrastructure in Abidjan, citing the Ivorian-Japanese friendship interchange at the Solibra intersection and several interchanges along the Bingerville road.
“These developments will completely change the face of traffic in Abidjan,” he stated.
Beyond healthcare and infrastructure, the partnership has contributed to agricultural development, particularly in rice cultivation, where Côte d’Ivoire collaborates with other African nations under Japan’s support.
“In short, there is a contingent of projects for which Japan has expressed its full commitment to Côte d’Ivoire,” Mr Mambé said, adding that talks also addressed security, defence, and peace efforts.
Ivory Coast intends to deepen this partnership through the creation of a Japan–Côte d’Ivoire parliamentary friendship group and initiatives such as the planned transformation of Cocody Bay, inspired by Yokohama’s urban model.
The conference also provided a platform for the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) to call for greater investment in youth mindset transformation, with a pilot project involving 30,000 young Ivorians already underway in partnership with national authorities.
About The Author
