Since May 2021, a project to build a dry port has been underway in the Tchologo region, at Ferkessédougou. This large-scale infrastructure will boost the economy of the region and the country as a whole. “As well as boosting tourism and the hotel industry in the region, the dry port will level out prices throughout the country,” explains Abdoulaye Alliagui, coordinator of the Ferkessédougou dry port project.
On the site of the dry port, where buildings are being erected, 2,000 young people, mostly from the Tchologo region, are hard at work. Some are in their first job.
“I was trained as a Chinese-French and local language interpreter. Thanks to this job, which I do on the site, I’m able to support myself,” says Aboubacar Dao, a young man from Ferkessédougou.
Others come from the town’s vocational high school for a 45-day apprenticeship. On site, Moumine Diomandé, a first-year student in Electricity and Building, can put into practice what he has learned in class. “I’m learning about plumbing, wall tapping, how to use a spade and a drill,” he says.
Ultimately, the dry port will generate 71,000 direct and indirect jobs for young people and women in the region.
The port covers an area of 732 hectares. The works include the construction of an import/export terminal, a hydrocarbon depot and a livestock market. The 200 families directly affected by the project have been rehoused. New houses have been built to accommodate them. And on the site, they have access to basic social infrastructure: water, electricity, a health centre, a school, etc.
Completion of this project will facilitate trade between Côte d’Ivoire and the entire sub-region. It will make the Tchologo region one of the country’s major economic hubs.
Source : Gouvernement de Côte d’Ivoire
