Côte d’Ivoire: $146.9 Million Budget for the Ministry of Digital Transition in 2026

The Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitalization of Côte d’Ivoire will have a budget of 83.2 billion CFA francs ($145.9 million) for the 2026 fiscal year to strengthen digital performance and improve connectivity across the country. This amount represents an increase of about 37% compared to 2025. The budget was unanimously approved on Friday, November 21, by the National Assembly following the presentation by Minister Ibrahim Kalil Konaté.

The budget allocates 1.7 billion CFA francs to Program 1, dedicated to the ministry’s general administration. Program 2, focused on developing the digital economy and modernizing the postal sector, receives 46 billion CFA francs. Program 3, concerning the implementation of universal electronic communications services, is allocated 33 billion CFA francs, while Program 4 sets aside approximately 2.6 billion CFA francs to support regulatory activities in the sector.

“For the government, we must accelerate the digital transformation and digitalization of our society. If successful, this transformation will allow wider access to digital services across the country and significantly increase state revenue,” the minister told lawmakers.

Minister Konaté highlighted key achievements of his department in 2024, funded by a 52.6 billion CFA francs budget. These included the launch of the E-Administrative Procedures platform with 105 digitized procedures, implementation of the national digitalization plan, deployment of over 33,140 km of fiber optic networks, and commissioning of 160 radio sites covering 175 localities. The ministry also conducted cybersecurity awareness campaigns, supported digital startups, organized a workshop to update the legal framework for cybersecurity, assisted in the establishment of 97 companies in the free zone, and initiated the development of national strategies on artificial intelligence and data governance.

For context, Côte d’Ivoire ranked 124th on the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI) 2024, with a score of 0.5587 out of 1, above the African average but below the global average. The country also scored 65.3 out of 100 on the International Telecommunication Union’s ICT Development Index, ranking 16th in Africa. Furthermore, the ITU placed Côte d’Ivoire at Tier 3 out of 5 in its 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index. While the country performs well legislatively and organizationally, further technical measures, capacity development, and cooperation actions are needed.

Previously, Minister Konaté stated that the digital transformation of the economy could increase Côte d’Ivoire’s GDP by 6 to 7 percentage points, generating between 2,000 and 3,500 billion CFA francs. According to the World Bank, the digital economy could contribute more than $5.5 billion to Côte d’Ivoire by 2025 and over $20 billion by 2050 if government and private sector investments in the five fundamental pillars of the digital economy are strengthened.