One of the government's objectives is to insert more than 600,000 young people this year. To achieve this, investments are being made in several dedicated programs.

The government of Côte d'Ivoire has launched two professional integration programs worth almost 99 billion FCFA ($166 million) in the north of the country. The information was communicated by the government on Saturday, July 8.

The first launch, worth 12.3 billion FCFA (approximately 21 million dollars), concerns phase 2 of the program to combat fragility in the northern border areas. In addition to the aspect of professional insertion and youth employment, this program includes access to basic education and learning, electricity and drinking water. It also addresses the maintenance of roads and the connectivity of territories, as well as social networks and the fight against extreme poverty.

It will impact the populations of the six northern border regions, particularly Bagoué, Bounkani, Folon, Kabadougou, Poro and Tchologo, and will focus on 30,632 beneficiaries, according to the statement.

The second launch is phase 3 of the Youth Employment and Skills Development Project (PEJEDEC 3), a career insertion program funded by the World Bank worth 86.3 billion FCFA ($145 million). This phase 3 will focus on «33, 25 young men and women between 18 and 40 years old, including 1,809 young people for this year 2023, through High Labor Intensity Jobs (THIMO), Income Generating Activities (AGR ), Micro and Small Enterprises (MPE) and Village Savings and Credit Associations (AVEC),” the statement indicates.

According to Téné Birahima Ouattara, Minister of Defense, these initiatives are part of the policies and reforms implemented by the government of Côte d'Ivoire to "create a stable social and security framework for populations, accelerating sustainable, equitable and inclusive socioeconomic development for all populations.

According to data from the World Bank, in 2022, Côte d'Ivoire recorded an unemployment rate of 2.6% with an employment/population ratio (over 15 years old) of 64%.

As a reminder, last March, Côte d'Ivoire announced an investment of more than 360 billion FCFA in the insertion of more than 600,000 young people during the current year.

Source: Ecomnewsafrique