Project Description
Cote d'Ivoire is a strategically important country in the francophone WAEMU sub-region. It is the largest economy in the sub-region, accounting for a third of GDP, and has the largest population with 22 million inhabitants. It also accounts for the largest Mobile Financial Services (MFS) market, with 3.4 million registered users. As such, developments in Cote d'Ivoire have significant implications for the rest of the economic zone. In order to promote MFS market development, this 4-year project will work at 3 different levels: institutional level, market level, and also providing targeted business development work with MFSPs operating in Cote d'Ivoire. Its overall objective is to contribute to the development of mobile financial services in Cote d'Ivoire. The project will involve working at the market level with industry players and the regulator to help develop market knowledge, business models and expertise. To this end, the project plans to conduct knowledge sharing activities such as technical workshops and conduct market research in agricultural value chain or other large payment flows with a view of informing the private sector of the business case for MFS in Cote d'Ivoire.