Ivory Coast

The New Guard
Ivory Coast, Nigeria, DRC

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

Ivory CoastArthur Banga, the security expert whispering in the ears of military staff

NigeriaArabinrin Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, a decisive woman of multiple talents

DRCCorneille Kabanga, the quiet go-between for Chinese giant CNMC

Tullow Oil and CNR seek to offload historic Espoir field

The two British and Canadian juniors no longer see any future in the CI-26 oil deposit, where costs are not falling and production is gradually declining.

Brassivoire begins round of redundancies

The local subsidiary of Dutch giant Heineken has launched a series of redundancies for "economic reasons" due to poor results for the first quarter, placing them behind their main competitor, SOLIBRA.

Vista Bank abandons plans to acquire Oragroup

On 13 May, the group headed by Simon Tiemtoré informed the pan-African bank Oragroup that it would not be acquiring the shares held by the Emerging Capital Partners fund. This marks the end of two years of thorny negotiations.

Nimba Development Co in talks with Ivorian ports over Nimba iron

The ports of Abidjan and San Pedro are expected to be the gateways for Nimba Development Co.'s iron production, which plans to export 3m tonnes annually.

The New Guard
Ivory Coast, Namibia, Algeria

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

Ivory CoastDidi B, the rapper courted by presidency for the youth vote

NamibiaVictoria Sibeya, bringing Orange Basin experience to Namcor

AlgeriaKahina Melchane, the stylist to the stars striking a pose in Paris

Palestinian Authority launches first ever Africa division

For the first time, Palestinian diplomacy has set up a department exclusively dedicated to the continent. However, its meagre resources are likely to limit its scope of influence.

Treasury struggles to buy its e-payment platforms

As a source of lost revenue for the state, the Treasury is seeking to acquire Trésor Pay and TrésorMoney, electronic platforms for revenue collection and public expenditure payments.

Guillaume Soro calls on Macky Sall's help to renew ties with Alassane Ouattara

Guillaume Soro and former Senegalese head of state Macky Sall met in mid-April to discuss the resumption of dialogue between the exiled opposition leader and President Ouattara.

Volodymyr Zelensky cuts short his African tour

The Ukrainian president left Pretoria prematurely on 24 April, cancelling his tour that was supposed to take him to at least two other countries on the continent.

Abdourahmane Cissé prospecting for Lazard in Abidjan

The business bank is counting on the former oil minister to reestablish relations with Ivory Coast. His know-how gained the bank an audience with the head of state.

Barry Callebaut back on the cocoa offensive in Abidjan

After a break of several months, Barry Callebaut is making up for lost time on the Ivory Coast cocoa bean market. At the end of April, the Belgian-Swiss cocoa giant was already hot on the heels of its competitor Olam.

Sonitra says its final farewell

The liquidation of the company Société Nationale Ivoirienne de Travaux (Sonitra) has just been approved. The firm's finances were largely impacted by a dispute between the Ivorian State and the Israeli conglomerate Solel Boneh International.

Société Générale faces a flurry of resignations

Pending its sale, the leading banking institution in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) is facing a series of departures of its senior executives.

Singapore's JB Cocoa factory project on stand-by in Abidjan

The chocolate subsidiary of the giant JB Foods has halted construction of its cocoa processing plant at Yopougon Akoupé Zeudji.

Transport Minister to take delivery of new Air Côte d'Ivoire plane at Airbus HQ

In mid-July, the European aircraft manufacturer will deliver an A330neo to Ivory Coast's national airline for flights between Abidjan and Paris. A second plane of the same type is expected in August.

Leading security firm Siga Sécurité entangled in legal battle

A main player in Ivory Coast's security sector, the company is caught up in a legal embroilment with its former French stakeholder.