IsDB grants Côte d’Ivoire $195m credit facility for road construction project

Côte d’Ivoire has received from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) a financing credit worth $195 million for the construction of a 74km-long road inscribed in the National plan of development, Sika reports.

The credit line will finance Bouake-Darakokaha express road, a section of the planned 1,300 km long road project Abidjan-Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), to cost roughly $2 billion.

The regional trans-border project will strengthen regional integration and spur trade between Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

Bouake-Darakokaha express road, the Ivorian government says, will spur residential development as it increases the real estate prices and stimulate jobs creation. The financing is part of IsDB’s commitment to invest $800 million in projects that improve the conditions of populations and promote UN Sustainable Development Goals in its member States.

The bank has also financed Abidjan’s bridge that was inaugurated in August. The Cocody Bridge soaring over 100 meters high and spanning 630 meters across Cocody Bay is named after Alassane Ouattara. It cost $567 million. The bridge has the capacity to accommodate around 30,000 vehicles daily. It has been built to alleviate urban congestion and facilitating smoother traffic flow within Abidjan, the economic hub.