CDP and SACE in Côte d’Ivoire to connect Italian businesses with investment opportunities, development projects and new partners
Mattei Plan for Africa. A mission to strengthen dialogue between Italy and Côte d’Ivoire and deepen economic and institutional ties between the two countries.
A week of meetings aimed at strengthening economic relations between Italy and Côte d’Ivoire, a priority country under the Mattei Plan, has concluded in Abidjan. Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and SACE, with the support and cooperation of the Italian Embassy and together with TEHA Group, organised a series of business-focused meetings as part of the Mattei Plan for Africa to promote investment, new business opportunities and partnerships between Italian and Ivorian companies.
Against this backdrop, the initiatives organised in Abidjan form part of a broader vision for a strategic partnership between Italy and Côte d’Ivoire, aimed at building on synergies between the Mattei Plan and the development priorities set out in Côte d’Ivoire’s National Development Plan (PND).
Côte d’Ivoire has one of the highest growth rates in the region, serves as a key logistics and trade hub, and offers a favourable investment environment.
In 2025, bilateral trade between the two countries reached €829.4 million, up 10.9%, with Italian exports totalling €292 million and imports amounting to €537.4 million.
The initiatives’ aim to strengthen cooperation through dialogue with institutions and the involvement of businesses and economic stakeholders from both countries, contributing to the implementation of projects aligned with Côte d’Ivoire’s development needs. This approach is based on mutual benefit, the promotion of local expertise and the establishment of long-term partnerships capable of generating shared opportunities and benefits.
The programme opened on 14 October with SACE’s Business Visit focusing on Agribusiness & Infrastructure, a series of meetings that brought together Italian companies and representatives of key Ivorian institutions to discuss planned projects and local needs. The meetings enabled Italian businesses to explore opportunities for cooperation and showcase their technological and industrial expertise to representatives of major Ivorian institutions, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production, the Rice Sector Development Agency (ADERIZ) and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Road Maintenance. The initiative forms part of SACE’s Push Strategy, launched in 2024 under the Mattei Plan to match the development needs of international partners with the expertise of Italian businesses, supported by SACE’s insurance and financial instruments.
On 15 October, the first Investment Forum in Côte d’Ivoire was held, organised by TEHA Group in cooperation with the Mattei Plan Task Force at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, under the High Patronage of the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire. The Forum brought together institutions, investors and businesses to discuss investment prospects and the competitive advantages of the Ivorian market, with particular emphasis on strengthening the bilateral partnership, developing the agri-food value chain and the role of infrastructure and the energy transition in West Africa’s economic integration.
In the afternoon, CDP brought together businesses, financial institutions and implementing agencies for a workshop entitled “From Projects to Business Opportunities: Procurement in Development Cooperation Initiatives in Côte d’Ivoire”, focusing on the opportunities generated by CDP-supported development cooperation projects in the country, ranging from the supply of goods and services to technology and technical assistance. Four strategic initiatives under the Mattei Plan for Africa were presented during the workshop: the NEDA project, presented by the World Bank and CI-Energies, aimed at expanding access to electricity and digitalising the national power grid; the 2PAI-NE programme, overseen by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), aimed at developing inclusive, climate-resilient agro-industrial hubs in the north-east of the country. Both initiatives are supported by the Italian Climate Fund. The Songon project, involving the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, concerns the construction and equipping of Songon General Hospital and the INFAS facility in Abengourou. The PADUD project, supported through the partnership between CDP and the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the Rome Process Financing Facility, focuses on sustainable urban development, infrastructure and climate resilience
The three-day programme concluded on 16 October with the launch of the CDP Business Matching platform in the Ivorian market at the “Italy Meets Côte d’Ivoire” event, organised in cooperation with the Italian Embassy and leading institutions and business associations from both countries. Developed by CDP together with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and SIMEST, with the involvement of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), SACE, Confindustria, CNA and the Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad, CDP Business Matching is a free, multilingual digital platform that connects Italian and international companies across all sectors through B2B meetings organised throughout the year.
With the addition of Côte d’Ivoire, the service now operates in 26 focus countries. More than 12,000 Italian and international companies have already registered on the platform, which enables them to connect with potential partners and take part in business meetings, strengthening ties between the Italian business community and its counterparts in international markets.
