🇨🇮Côte d'IvoireWest Africa
Ivory Coast to host strategic fair in Abidjan on June 6 to boost SMEs and local content
via Abidjan.net8 min read
Ivory Coast will host a fair dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs on June 6 in Abidjan. Organized by the international firm Kaizene in partnership with Côte d’Ivoire Tourisme, the event aims to structure the Ivorian entrepreneurial landscape. The fair will bring together 40 women-led businesses and over 500 visitors from strategic sectors like agriculture, processing, services, and technology. It seeks to be a catalyst for economic transformation by promoting local content, competitiveness, and sustainable wealth creation. The initiative follows the Economy & Governance Forum, transitioning from discussion to action to reposition Ivorian SMEs for industrialization, export, and upgrading. The program includes exhibitions, sales, masterclasses, and thematic marketplaces. Participants will receive support on key issues such as packaging, access to international markets, financial management, taxation, and land access, especially for women in agriculture. Institutions like CEPICI, SGPME, microfinance structures, and the tax administration will provide concrete assistance. The fair will also serve as a testing ground for the Economy & Governance Forum's White Paper, aiming to refine recommendations and identify real constraints faced by SMEs to build a functional, inclusive, and competitive economic model. Organizers expect a lasting impact on the national economy, focusing on business structuring, governance, and transmission to ensure sustainability and growth. T
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Abidjan.net.
The Professional African MMA PRIAM league, a new sports league aimed at developing combat sports across Africa and enabling athletes to earn a living from their craft, was officially launched on Friday, May 1, 2026, in Abidjan. The launch event was attended by numerous MMA athletes and representatives from the Ivorian Mixed Martial Arts Federation FIAMM. This initiative, led by Ouhon Jallah Henry, an MMA athlete and trainer, and supported by FIAMM, seeks to elevate African athletes and allow them to compete with their Western counterparts. Henry stated that the vision for PRIAM is to highlight young African talents, as there are many in Côte d'Ivoire, and to professionalize the sport, as many existing African leagues are not professional. Colonel Tapé Legrey, representing FIAMM, emphasized that the new league will promote Ivorian MMA and help build careers for athletes, aspiring for a global standard. David Coppola, technical director of the Ivorian MMA Federation, added that the league will provide a platform for all African athletes to express themselves, noting the growing enthusiasm for MMA among the Ivorian population, evidenced by high-level fights in Abidjan.
On the 33rd World Press Freedom Day, the Ad Hoc Committee of the National Union of Journalists of Côte d'Ivoire UNJCI, tasked with organizing the 12th elective congress, issued a statement emphasizing fraternity, responsibility, unity, and commitment. The committee highlighted the fundamental role of the press in strengthening democracy and public freedoms, stressing the need to preserve and protect the right to inform with rigor, ethics, and responsibility. It acknowledged recent internal tensions as a sign of democratic vitality, but also as a call for lucidity and true fraternity, noting that recent decisions could ease the climate and prioritize the UNJCI's best interests and professional unity. The Ad Hoc Committee urged Ivorian journalists to exercise restraint, uphold professional dignity, and engage in dialogue and reconstruction. It formally announced the 12th ordinary elective congress for Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 9 AM at the Maison de la Presse in Abidjan. This congress aims to be unifying, responsible, and to restore credibility, adhering strictly to UNJCI regulations, transparency, equity, and democratic standards. Beyond the election, key objectives include defending press freedom, improving working conditions, ensuring media economic viability, combating precarity, and promoting rigorous, ethical journalism. The committee called on all Ivorian journalists to unite and contribute to the UNJCI's resurgence with strength, dignity, and ambition
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The Ivorian government is enhancing its civil protection system to manage the growing number of risks, including climate change, natural disasters, human activities, and transportation incidents. This initiative responds to a rising demand for security. Key reforms include the adoption of Decree No. 2023-1004 on December 20, 2023, which defines the attributions, organization, and functioning of the National Office of Civil Protection ONPC, and the development of a civil protection policy document. A dedicated ONPC headquarters, costing 2 billion FCFA, was inaugurated in December 2022. Major actions also involve establishing civil protection services across the country and equipping them with material and mobility resources. From 2011 to 2025, the government's efforts included constructing 40 civil protection centers, creating a provisional civil protection school in San Pedro, and implementing the Integrated Management System of the National Office of Civil Protection SIG-ONPC. Operational teams are available around the clock for emergency response. In 2022, 5,755 awareness campaigns were conducted in the District of Abidjan and cities with emergency relief centers, leading to 5,464 rescue operations in 2025. In May 2025, the ONPC collaborated with the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy and the Group of Petroleum Industry Professionals on a national campaign to educate the public on the risks of domestic butane gas use. The previous year's rainy season resulted in 18 dea