Côte d’Ivoire Signs SDR2.21 Million IDA Grant for Abidjan Mobility Studies Including Light Rail

The agreement names light rail among the transport options to be studied and engineered for Greater Abidjan, alongside bus rapid transit, cycling and public transport interchanges, with the Vridi Canal crossing and stormwater works in the same technical package.

The grant funds feasibility, design, safeguards, institutional work and procurement planning up to a closing date of 30 April 2028, giving the programme a defined preparation period.

• Côte d’Ivoire and IDA signed grant E8010 on 30 October 2026 to fund preparation of a Greater Abidjan urban development and mobility programme.
• The grant is SDR2.21 million, with 100% of eligible expenditure financed inclusive of taxes.
• Light rail, bus rapid transit, cycling and public transport interchanges are the urban transport options named for study and design.
• The technical package also covers stormwater management, the proposed Vridi Canal crossing, logistics facilities and urban parks.
• CC-PRICI, under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Road Maintenance, is to carry out the activities.
• The closing date is 30 April 2028 and the effectiveness deadline is 90 days after signature.

Côte d’Ivoire signed a preparation grant agreement with the International Development Association (IDA) on 30 October 2026, committing SDR2.21 million to studies and detailed engineering design for a proposed urban development and mobility programme in Greater Abidjan. Light rail is one of the urban transport options named for study, alongside bus rapid transit, cycling and public transport interchanges.

Grant E8010 supports preparation of the Integrated Mobility and Urban Development for Sustainable Growth in Abidjan MPA Program, which the agreement describes as intended to support a more inclusive and competitive Abidjan with enhanced metropolitan governance systems. Adama Coulibaly, Minister of Economy, Finance and Budget, signed for Côte d’Ivoire, and Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, IDA’s Division Director for Côte d’Ivoire, signed for the association.

The first of the agreement’s five parts covers feasibility studies, technical studies and detailed engineering designs for the investments of the follow-on operation in Greater Abidjan. Besides urban transport, these include stormwater management, road and corridor connections such as the proposed Vridi Canal crossing, logistics facilities and urban parks. Light rail fits within the broader package.

The other parts cover environmental and social impact assessments, resettlement action plans and related instruments for those investments, and studies on urban mobility and accessibility, urban logistics, the governance of Greater Abidjan and the institutional and legal arrangements for lagoon transport. The grant also pays for a procurement strategy and procurement plan, an assessment of municipal and district technical, financial and human capacity, and support for setting up a project management or implementing unit and hiring key staff for programme preparation.

The Cellule de Coordination des Projets d’Infrastructures en Côte d’Ivoire (CC-PRICI), under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Road Maintenance, will carry out the activities and handle day-to-day implementation, including financial management and procurement. The agreement requires the work to follow the World Bank’s environmental and social standards, and an Environmental and Social Commitment Plan dated 26 October 2026, which includes an accessible grievance mechanism for people affected by the activities.

The SDR2.21 million is allocated to goods, consulting and non-consulting services, operating costs and training, and the grant finances 100% of expenditure inclusive of taxes. No withdrawals can be made for payments made before the signature date. The closing date is 30 April 2028 and the effectiveness deadline is 90 days after signature. In the agreement, Côte d’Ivoire acknowledged that the grant does not constitute or imply any commitment by the World Bank or IDA to assist in financing the programme.

A disbursement and financial information letter of the same date provides for direct payments, reimbursements and advances, with a disbursement deadline four months after the closing date. It requires quarterly interim unaudited financial reports within 45 days of each quarter-end and a one-time audit at the end of the 18-month implementation period.