Washington — The World Bank approved today a $100 million project that will enable approximately 1.8 million people in the Western Montagnes District to access inclusive basic services and benefit from new economic opportunities. The Community and Local Development in Western Côte d'Ivoire Project (COSO West), funded by the International Development Association (IDA), is aimed at closing the development gap in areas that had been overlooked amid the country's swift economic progress.
While Côte d'Ivoire remains one of Sub-Saharan Africa's most dynamic economies, some of the Western regions face a starkly different reality. In the Montagnes District, rural poverty stands at 54%. The disparity in basic services is even more severe: while 40% of households nationwide have access to running water, that number plummets to just 9.5% in the District of Montagnes, and a mere 0.6% in its rural areas. COSO West directly addresses this disparity by channeling resources to 35 sub-prefectures across the Tonkpi, Guémon, and Cavally regions.
"By putting communities in the driver's seat, COSO West will ensure that Côte d'Ivoire's national growth story translates into real, tangible improvements in people's daily lives," said Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, World Bank Division Director for Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Guinea, and Togo. "We are building the critical infrastructure--from health centers and schools to clean water systems--that can withstand shocks and empower local populations to drive their own development."
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The project provides targeted livelihood grants that will directly support approximately 46,000 beneficiaries--including 27,000 youth and 15,000 women--enabling them to launch and grow sustainable income-generating activities. In addition, regional investments will revitalize local economies through funding for vital value chain infrastructure, such as storage facilities and processing units. These improvements will not only strengthen agricultural and related sectors but also stimulate broader employment growth and new business opportunities, creating a ripple effect that benefits entire communities.
Building on the successful blueprint of the COSO North project, this new initiative puts communities at the center of decision-making. By utilizing an innovative geospatial targeting index, the project ensures purposeful targeting to reach the areas of greatest need. COSO West also seeks to advance local governance and social cohesion by fostering meaningful participation in community leadership, targeting a 30% share of women in leadership positions in Village Development Committees, the village level project implementation entity.
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The project also aims to deliver access to basic services and income generating activities to around 1.8 million rural vulnerable people, while successfully extending basic water services to at least 360,000 people.
