Ivory Coast: African Development Bank relaunches major Dompleu aquaculture project in the west of the country

AfDB NWS & EVENTS

13-Mar-2020

The African Development Bank launched, Wednesday, March 11 in Man, in the west of Côte d'Ivoire, the Support component for the empowerment of women and young people of the Strengthening of the District District's electric networks project. by the public company Côte d'Ivoire Energies and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

 The Bank is thus relaunching the important Dompleu aquaculture project, which it financed in 2000 before it was interrupted by the political and military crisis that the country went through between 2002 and 2011.

"This project is an important branch of the rural electrification project in the region," said Raymond Kitandala, energy expert at the Bank. Ultimately, 20,000 households should benefit from electricity. But accessing electricity requires financial resources. This is why electricity should not be limited to domestic uses only. It must be used to create income-generating activities. "

“The Bank is returning to the region to reactivate the Donpleu aquaculture station. The success of the project will justify greater resources thereafter. So we are calling on the populations to take ownership of the project, ”he continued. The Bank finances the empowerment component of women and youth to the tune of $ 1.07 million.

Covering an area of ​​four hectares, the Dompleu station will be operated by a hundred young people from the region. It will produce 500,000 tilapia fry each year at the nursery station and 150 tonnes of tilapia fish for the local, national and even sub-regional market. In addition, groups of women and young people will be supervised to set up agricultural activities, in particular the cultivation of cassava and rice. They will annually produce 600 tonnes of attiéké and cassava flour, 400 tonnes of husked rice.

“It is an opportunity for our populations. They must seize this opportunity to strengthen social cohesion by developing the incomes of women and young people. Many ponds have been created in the region. There have been problems in the past. Now it is a question of relaunching these activities, ”said Karim Diarra, Prefect of Danané.

 Samy Gaiji, resident representative of FAO in Côte d'Ivoire stressed that “investing in women is easier. The investment is more profitable, it is a catalyst for local communities. "

The project will benefit more than 6,000 women and young people and contribute to the development of value chains and processing in the Mountain District, according to Samy Gaiji. “Côte d'Ivoire has sufficient conditions to produce at aquaculture level and meet national needs. FAO will make every effort for the success of the project. But this project will only succeed if the target groups take ownership of it, ”he pleaded.