Abidjan hosts Africa–United States mortgage roundtable on housing credit access

Abidjan, May 19, 2025, On May 15, 2025, Abidjan hosted the first Strategic Roundtable of the Africa–U.S. Mortgage Initiative, aimed at improving access to housing credit and developing innovative financing mechanisms.

The event brought together high-level authorities, including Patrick Achi, Minister of State and Special Advisor to the Presidency of the Republic, and Jessica Davis Ba, U.S. Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire.

This strategic roundtable aimed to attract U.S. investments by fostering direct dialogue between Ivorian policymakers, real estate developers, and public and private sector stakeholders from the United States. The goal was to overcome regulatory barriers, present viable projects, and co-create solutions to transform the Ivorian real estate market into a safe and attractive destination for American capital.

Patrick Achi outlined the Ivorian government's measures to promote affordable housing, emphasizing efforts to improve access to housing and develop sustainable housing solutions.

Jessica Davis Ba highlighted that the U.S. government and private institutions are creating opportunities to support the Ivorian market. She stated that the main goal of the roundtable is to identify concrete actions that could generate positive impacts and increase U.S. investments, particularly in Côte d’Ivoire’s housing sector.

It is worth noting that Côte d’Ivoire faces a housing deficit of over 600,000 units, driven by rapid urbanization, population growth, and limited financing mechanisms, while the demand for affordable housing continues to rise.