The Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitalization aims to increase the share of the digital sector in the national gross domestic product (GDP) from 8% to 16%. This ambition is based on two flagship programs launched on Wednesday, July 30: Ivoire Tech Next 15 and Ivoire Tech Scale Up. This objective is part of the ministry’s 2026-2038 plan.
Ivoire Tech Scale Up is a national initiative aimed at identifying, supporting, and propelling the strongest Ivorian technological SMEs to help them scale up and become national leaders in the digital sector. Ivoire Tech Next 15, also a national initiative, aims to support and accelerate the most promising Ivorian start-ups to help them reach a decisive stage in their growth and become future references in African innovation.
“Our ministry, in this ecosystem, has only one mission: to transform the vision and action of the government into concrete, measurable results, for you, for these companies, and especially for our fellow citizens, in order to create more value,” said Minister of Digital Transition and Digitalization, Djibril Ouattara.
According to the ministry, these programs, with a deadline for applications set before September 15, offer direct connections with banks, investors, and donors, as well as access to major clients and public procurement opportunities. Eligibility criteria include being an Ivorian legal start-up, operating mainly in the digital sector, and submitting an application before September 13.
For Djibril Ouattara, the digital sector already has a coverage rate of over 95% in Ivory Coast. “This is an important dimension that is often overlooked. And it is precisely because in Ivory Coast, the internet covers 95% of the population that there are often high expectations. It is a strong potential for us who are here, who want to create value. We also want to ensure that this contribution of the digital sector to the creation of value in the GDP can benefit the existing SME fabric, as well as these start-ups that are in the process of being created,” he said.
