Abidjan, CÔTE D’IVOIRE, April 6, 2023-/African Media Agency(AMA)/The World Bank has announced new technical and financial support to Côte d’Ivoire to rehabilitate and maintain approximately 15,000 km of roads and infrastructure rural areas in 11 regions of the country. Called the Rural Connectivity Project (PCR), the operation aims to directly connect nearly 4 million people to the road network in the rural areas of the targeted regions.
This new intervention for an amount of 300 million dollars represents 60% of an overall envelope of 500 million dollars, 200 million of which will be provided by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank within the framework of co-financing. The PCR is designed to guarantee at least 90% of the population access to an all-weather road, located within five kilometers of their homes. It also aims to connect 100% of health and school establishments to roads that are passable in all seasons, in 11 regions, namely: Bafing, Bagoué, Béré, Bounkani, Folon, Gontougo, Hambol, Kabadougou. , Poro, Tchologo and Worodougou
« Today, in some of the targeted regions, more than 50% of the population travels more than 5 or even 10 km, often on foot, to have access to a passable road. This situation has a serious impact on socio-economic activities, not only for the evacuation of agricultural products but also for access to schools and health centres. The PCR will therefore benefit the entire population, first of all users of social services and markets, pupils of primary schools as well as farmers who will benefit from the improvement in the state of roads and the facilities of rural markets for the sale of their crops, and to women traders. No one should be left behind », said Coralie Gevers, World Bank Country Director for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Guinea and Togo.
More broadly, the Rural Connectivity Project should promote the opening of economic growth poles, the reduction of transport time along road sections and better access of ambulances to rural health centers for the transfer of patients to the higher level hospitals. It should also contribute to strengthening social cohesion through the rehabilitation of transhumance tracks and corridors, in order to reduce conflicts between herders and farmers, as well as to climate resilience by planting nearly a million trees.
This new World Bank financing is consistent with the government’s 2020-2025 National Development Plan, which aims to accelerate economic transformation, reduce poverty and inequality, and improve governance. It is part of a more global framework of support from the World Bank Group comprising other operations aimed at supporting the country for inclusive development, in order to strengthen resilience to fragility in the northern half close to the Sahel, with interventions already underway in favor of social cohesion, electricity for all and the digital economy.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) for World Bank.
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Source : African Media Agency (AMA)