Abidjan, 23 June,2025 – Independent candidate in the 2025 Ivorian presidential election, Souleymane Barry, announced on Thursday, June 19, in Yopougon during a press conference, his intention to make universal family allowance one of the pillars of his social policy if elected to the highest office.

Denouncing a "blatant social injustice," Mr. Barry criticized the current system, which reserves family allowances only for the children of civil servants, thereby excluding the children of farmers, traders, the unemployed, and informal workers.

"Is the child of a farmer not also an Ivorian?" he asked indignantly, advocating for equal treatment for all children in the country. His proposal is based on the creation of a social assistance mechanism adjusted according to household income, in order to support all families regardless of their professional status.

"Either we implement a social policy for everyone, or we don’t implement it at all," he insisted, specifying that this system would be regulated and adapted to the economic realities of each household.

According to him, this universal allowance would not only help reduce inequalities but also combat poverty more effectively by ensuring that every Ivorian child has equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of their social background.

At the same time, the candidate advocated for an ambitious reform of public administration and taxation, based on transparency, digitalization, and strict control of assets, aimed at improving public management and restoring trust between the State and its citizens.

"The State must not enrich a minority, but allow everyone to live with dignity," he concluded.