Côte d’Ivoire will acquire Starlink LEO satellite services and a sovereign national data center, among other developments, subsequent to a state visit to Abidjan by US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank R. Garcia last Thursday.
A statement from the US embassy in Côte d’Ivoire confirmed that the Ivoirian government granted final approval for Starlink operations following Garcia’s visit, with the expectation that this will broaden broadband internet access to remote and unserved regions nationwide.
Additionally, the government authorized US cybersecurity firm Cybastion to move forward with a US$170 million initiative, funded by the US Export-Import Bank. This project aims to construct a sovereign national data center, a government digitization platform, and an intelligent border surveillance system.
Garcia, whose initial trip to Africa as assistant Secretary of State included a visit to Côte d’Ivoire on July 15 and 16, further noted that Cybastion and Cisco are collaborating with the US Embassy to “deepen American engagement in Côte d’Ivoire’s growing digital sector”.
During his visit, Garcia also announced that ABD Group finalized an <a href="https://absafricatv.com/ecowas-leaders-sign-intergovernmental-agreement-for-african-atlantic-gas-pipeline/” title=”ECOWAS Leaders Sign Intergovernmental Agreement for African Atlantic Gas Pipeline”>agreement to advance a US$293 million healthcare infrastructure initiative within Côte d’Ivoire. This marks the inaugural significant project to be executed under a broader US$570 million infrastructure framework accord, which ABD Group and the Ivoirian government signed in Washington this past April, covering healthcare, education, and water sectors.
Concurrently, US technology logistics firm NTELX entered into a contract with the Greater Abidjan Port-City Integration Project. This agreement aims to broaden the application of its truck coordination technology at the Port of Abidjan, contributing to a broader strategy to modernize Côte d’Ivoire’s trade infrastructure.
Chargé d’Affaires Junaid Munir stated, “Assistant Secretary Garcia’s trip to Côte d’Ivoire has proved essential to getting several key commercial deals over the finish line in the mutual interests of the United States and Côte d’Ivoire.”
