COTE D’IVOIRE TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS Contributed by: Abdourahim Bodeen Diallo, Saran Kaba and Zahra Diallo, Thiam & Associés
• expansion of digital financial services through new licensing regimes; and • the deployment of digital-identity systems. These measures support financial inclusion, particu - larly for SMEs and unbanked populations, while creat - ing new opportunities for fintech investors. Perspectives Côte d’Ivoire’s legal and regulatory evolution is expected to continue along a path of consolidation, digitalisation, and enhanced compliance. Three trends are likely to shape the country’s trajectory. First, the government is expected to prioritise imple - mentation and enforcement of recent reforms, par - ticularly those related to investment facilitation, digital administration, and judicial efficiency. Strengthening inter-institutional co-ordination will be essential to ensure that reforms produce tangible improvements for investors. Second, the regulatory environment will give increas - ing emphasis to sustainability, ESG integration, and digital governance. Enhanced environmental obliga - tions, expanded data-protection enforcement, and emerging climate-finance norms will influence both domestic and foreign investment strategies. Third, regional harmonisation will remain a defining feature of the Ivorian landscape. Ongoing revisions of OHADA Uniform Acts, UEMOA tax reforms, and ECO - WAS (Economic Community of West African States) digital-market initiatives are expected to deepen integration and bring domestic frameworks closer to international standards. As Côte d’Ivoire continues its ascent as a regional commercial and financial centre, investors and prac - titioners can expect a regulatory environment that increasingly balances innovation with stability, posi - tioning the country as a leading example of legal mod - ernisation and economic ambition in West Africa. Appendix – Focus: Mining Sector Trends Côte d’Ivoire’s mining industry is undergoing a period of significant transformation, driven by robust explora - tion activity, regulatory reforms, and increased pub -
lic–private collaboration aimed at formalising previ - ously informal sectors. With a growing reputation as an investor-friendly jurisdiction and a strategic plan to expand gold production and other mineral exploita - tion, the country is establishing itself as one of West Africa’s most dynamic mining markets. 1. Rising exploration and production momentum Gold remains at the heart of Côte d’Ivoire’s mining boom. The government’s issuance of new exploration permits, including 12 for gold in late 2025, reflects strong investor interest across the country’s rich Birim - ian greenstone belts. Companies such as Barrick Gold and a range of junior explorers have secured licences in strategic regions, signalling broad confidence in the country’s geological potential. Notably, strategic acquisitions such as African Gold Limited’s 80% control of extensive gold territory illustrate that exploration is translating into substan - tial footprint expansion by both major and emerging players. These developments align with national ambitions to increase annual output, which has already risen from around 20 tonnes in 2014 to roughly 58 tonnes in 2023, and position Côte d’Ivoire among Africa’s leading producers. The Integrated Policy on Mineral Resources and Energy ( Politique Intégrée des Res- sources Minières et Énergétiques – PIRME) envisages substantial long-term investment and output growth, targeting tripling gold production by 2040. 2. Formalisation of informal and artisanal mining A defining trend in 2025 has been the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASM), a sector that supports hundreds of thousands of liveli - hoods but has historically operated outside of legal frameworks. In partnership with the World Bank Group and the World Gold Council, Côte d’Ivoire launched the Multistakeholder Partnership for Sustainable and Responsible Small-Scale Mining (MSPI – Partenariat Multipartite pour l’Exploitation Minière Artisanale et à Petite Échelle Durable et Responsable ) aimed at bringing informal miners into a regulated and trace - able value chain.
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