South-South Cooperation: DRC Draws on Ivorian Experience for Population and Housing Census
On Monday, March 30, 2026, the Ivorian Minister of Planning and Development, Dr. Souleymane Diarrassouba, received in audience Mr. Guylain Myembo, Minister of State, Minister of Planning and Coordination of Development Aid of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), along with his delegation, on a fact-finding visit from March 30 to April 2, 2026.
The visit aimed to learn from Côte d’Ivoire’s experience in conducting its General Population and Housing Census (RGPH), in preparation for the upcoming census in the DRC. Côte d’Ivoire carried out its last RGPH in 2021 as part of a ten-year cycle. The high quality of this nationwide operation, praised by institutional partners across the continent, underpins the Congolese interest in this approach.
Minister Diarrassouba highlighted the key conditions that ensured the success of this large-scale operation, emphasizing its sovereign significance.
Three factors contributed to the success of the Ivorian RGPH:
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Political leadership of the President of the Republic, H.E. Alassane Ouattara, who prioritized the census as a national objective;
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Inter-institutional coordination, ensuring coherence across the numerous administrations involved;
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Synergy with institutional partners, including the UNFPA.
The Minister also noted the strong bilateral relations between Côte d’Ivoire and the DRC and expressed the hope that this model of knowledge exchange could extend to other areas of cooperation.
Mr. Myembo reaffirmed the DRC’s intention to leverage the Ivorian experience to address the challenges of counting one of Africa’s largest populations.
Beyond this bilateral exchange, the visit underscores Côte d’Ivoire’s growing role as a reference in development planning across the continent. Sharing long-term expertise contributes to equipping Africa with statistical tools essential for effective public policy.
