🇨🇮Côte d'IvoireWest Africa
Amadou Coulibaly launches MTN Côte d’Ivoire's media innovation scholarship program
via Abidjan.net8 min read
Amadou Coulibaly, Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, officially launched MTN Côte d’Ivoire's media innovation scholarship program on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at the Novotel hotel in Abidjan-Marcory. This initiative aims to enhance the capabilities of local media professionals. Coulibaly praised the program, stating it aligns with the government's strategic directions and recalled MTN's previous training programs for Ivorian media. He emphasized a shared ambition to build a more structured, innovative, and credible Ivorian and African media ecosystem, focusing on promoting a fairer, more balanced, and positive image of Africa. Coulibaly believes that only African media professionals can accurately portray the continent's realities, talents, innovations, and successes. He also linked this narrative ownership to the International Audiovisual Content Exhibition SICA, organized by his ministry, with its 4th edition scheduled for November 26-28, 2026. He urged local stakeholders to embrace innovation as a necessity, responsibility as a commitment, and collaboration as a structured, sustainable, and strategic endeavor. Mitwa Ng’amdi, Director General of MTN Côte d’Ivoire, affirmed the company's commitment to modernizing the media ecosystem alongside the state, stating that supporting media strengthens democracy and builds the future. Marcel Tanoh, Deputy Director for Institutional Relations, unveiled the program's details and invited journalists to apply. Five jo
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Abidjan.net.
Must ReadThe Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace RHDP has welcomed the Ivorian government's decision to dissolve the Independent Electoral Commission CEI, announced after the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. In a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Ibrahima Cissé Bacongo, on May 8, the ruling party acknowledged the decision, noting that the CEI had organized and supervised various elections in Côte d'Ivoire for the past twenty-five years. Despite its efforts, the electoral body had consistently faced criticism from political actors and civil society organizations. The RHDP expressed satisfaction that the government addressed these concerns by dissolving the institution. The party reaffirmed its full support for President Alassane Ouattara, stating that he continues to demonstrate his responsiveness to citizens' needs for a peaceful, prosperous, and united Côte d'Ivoire. The RHDP urged political actors and civil society organizations to fully engage in preserving peace and trust to establish a new electoral management mechanism that ensures calm elections in Côte d'Ivoire.
Must ReadThe Central Bank of West African States BCEAO hosted an international conference in Dakar on May 8, 2026, focusing on the opportunities and challenges presented by crypto-assets and digital innovations for monetary and financial stability. This event follows similar conferences in 2024 and 2025 on climate change and artificial intelligence, respectively. The conference aims to analyze the implications of these digital advancements and establish appropriate regulatory frameworks. Jean Claude Kassi Brou, Governor of the BCEAO, highlighted that crypto-assets, digital payment platforms, and the increasing digitalization of financial services are reshaping financial intermediation and challenging traditional regulatory and supervisory frameworks. He emphasized that while these tools are powerful drivers of modernization, they also introduce risks and vulnerabilities, calling for rigorous international dialogue on emerging digital finance issues. The BCEAO has initiated structural actions to support this transformation. Cheikh Diba, the Senegalese Minister of Finance and Budget, noted that these innovations offer unprecedented opportunities but also demand increased collective responsibility to address complex challenges related to regulation, security, and stability. He identified key risks such as the growth of shadow banking, excessive volatility in crypto-asset markets, fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing, cyberattacks, and operational vulnerabilities. Diba expressed o
Must ReadThis article features an excerpt from the speech delivered by former President Laurent Gbagbo during the Central Committee meeting on May 7, 2026. The speech was published on Friday, May 8, 2026, by Autre Presse TV. The article is part of a larger collection of political activities from 2025-2026 on Abidjan.net, which also includes other news such as the dissolution of the CEI, the appointment of Ibrahime Coulibaly Kuibiert as President of the Council of State, and the adoption of the PND 2026-2030 by the Senate in Yamoussoukro.
Ivorian Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé met with Tareq Muhmood, the regional president for Visa's CEMEA Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa zone, on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Abidjan-Plateau. Muhmood expressed Visa's intention to expand its activities in Côte d'Ivoire, highlighting the country as a "fantastic environment" for growing their business. He noted that this expansion aims to support digital payments within Côte d'Ivoire and neighboring West and Central African countries, fostering financial inclusion and economic development. Muhmood also emphasized Visa's goal to significantly contribute to the growth of the Ivorian economy, particularly through developing tourism and ensuring visitors can easily make payments to local merchants and economic operators. Visa officially opened its regional office in Abidjan in November 2017, following a memorandum of understanding.