The Ivorian government has officially launched a 4.3 billion CFA franc ($7 million) fund to support projects led by youth organizations, as part of efforts to strengthen their capacity, autonomy and contribution to national development.
The call for projects for the Youth Organizations Support Fund (FAOJ) was launched on Monday, October 5, in Abidjan by Anne Désirée Ouloto, Minister of State for Public Service and Administrative Modernization, representing Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé. The ceremony was attended by Youth Promotion, Professional Integration and Civic Service Minister Mamadou Touré, representatives of youth organizations, government institutions and development partners.
The FAOJ is designed not only to finance youth-led initiatives but also to strengthen the governance of youth organizations, promote gender equality and equity, support peace and social cohesion, and encourage social innovation. Its implementation is based on four principles: neutrality, transparency, accountability and performance. The government says the fund is intended to provide a neutral financing mechanism based on the quality of projects and to help organizations become more autonomous.
The fund is open to associations, federations and youth organizations, as well as organizations working to support young people. Eligible organizations must, among other requirements, have at least two years of legal existence, up-to-date statutes and activity reports, a bank account registered in the organization's name, and no current sanctions. Projects can be submitted across 17 areas, including community initiatives, volunteering, leadership, education, health, sport, arts and culture, the environment, local development and social innovation.
Three levels of funding are available. Projects can receive between 500,000 and 3 million CFA francs, between 3 million and 15 million CFA francs, or between 15 million and 50 million CFA francs, depending on their nature and scale. The first call for projects is open for 30 days, with applications submitted online through the FAOJ platform or through the relevant government services and territorial offices.
The fund had been announced earlier in 2026 as part of government reforms aimed at supporting youth organizations. The government says its financing includes an allocation of 5% of revenue from telecommunications and gambling taxes, creating a mechanism intended to be replenished over time according to the revenues collected.
For Ibrahima Diabaté, president of the National Youth Council of Côte d’Ivoire (CNJCI), the creation of the FAOJ fulfills a proposal that emerged from the 2025 National Youth Consultations. He called for the fund's allocation to be increased to 10 billion CFA francs next year.
Mamadou Touré described the initiative as a major step forward for youth organizations, saying the fund would provide them with a dedicated mechanism to finance their activities and strengthen their autonomy. Anne Désirée Ouloto, meanwhile, presented the FAOJ as a sign of the government's confidence in young people and urged organizations to submit serious and ambitious projects capable of providing concrete solutions to communities' needs.
The launch gives youth organizations across Côte d’Ivoire access to a new public financing mechanism, with grants of up to 50 million CFA francs per project and an initial overall allocation of 4.3 billion CFA francs.