Keypoints:
- Ouattara campaigns on Abidjan’s rapid modernisation
- Critics say poverty and joblessness persist
- Election seen as test of legacy and inequality
PRESIDENT Alassane Ouattara is banking on the transformation of Abidjan to help him secure a fourth term in Cote d’Ivoire’s presidential election this Saturday. The 83-year-old leader, who has governed the world’s largest cocoa producer for 14 years, has made the city’s sweeping infrastructure boom the centrepiece of his campaign.
Coming to power in the aftermath of a civil and political crisis, Ouattara has overseen steady economic growth averaging six percent since 2012, supported by public investment and urban renewal.
‘We Ivorians never imagined we could have bridges, interchanges and major roads like this,’ Moustapha, a local tour guide, told AFP. ‘ADO has turned Abidjan into something we could only dream of.’
Bridges, roads and a skyline reborn
Abidjan’s skyline has been dramatically reshaped with three major bridges spanning the Ebrie Lagoon, including the cable-stayed link between the affluent Cocody district and the Plateau business centre. Inaugurated in August 2023, it has become an emblem of Ouattara’s development drive.
Another emblematic project is the 421-metre Tower F, a futuristic skyscraper still under construction that will dwarf the city when completed. The boom extends to retail, with 11 hypermarkets and 59 supermarkets opening during Ouattara’s rule—many of them Chinese-run ‘China Malls’ reflecting deepening commercial ties with Beijing.
‘Here you find luxury cars that you don’t even see in Europe,’ Moustapha joked, pointing to newer Japanese models that have replaced older imports after the government tightened regulations on second-hand vehicles.
Development brings mixed fortunes
Yet critics argue that the glittering bridges and malls conceal widening inequality. The phrase ‘you don’t eat tar’ has become a popular refrain among those left behind.
Living costs have surged, with rents for small studio apartments now around €100 a month—roughly the minimum wage. A World Bank report estimates that 46 percent of Ivorians still live below the poverty line.
‘Social inequalities persist, youth unemployment remains high, and the benefits of growth have not always reached the most vulnerable,’ local media observed.
The contrast is stark between the luxury villas of Cocody, home to ministers and football stars, and the overcrowded districts of Yopougon and Abobo, where many residents live in tin-roofed shacks.
Progress shadowed by unrest
Abidjan’s sprawl now stretches to Bingerville, where projects such as the Y4 expressway and the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe showcase the city’s expansion.
However, the modernisation drive has displaced thousands. Authorities have cleared informal settlements in what they call ‘urban sanitation’ efforts, but rights groups say many of those evicted—at least 20,000 households—have not been compensated or rehoused.
Former prime minister Patrick Achi defended Ouattara’s legacy, saying he inherited ‘a completely dilapidated state’ in 2011. But independent MP Antoine Assale told AFP that despite progress, frustration runs deep.
‘This does not solve the people’s problems,’ he said. ‘The infrastructure hides social unrest. What kind of society have we built over 15 years? There are very great frustrations in this country.’
With former president Laurent Gbagbo barred from standing due to a criminal conviction, Ouattara’s path to re-election appears clear. Yet as Cote d’Ivoire heads to the polls, his biggest challenge may be convincing voters that the gleaming transformation of Abidjan has improved lives beyond its bridges and boulevards.
