AGP Executive Report

Faith & Community: Qatar Charity is building 18 mosques and three Qur’an learning centres across Côte d’Ivoire. Eleven mosques and all three centres are complete, with the remaining mosques due to open by year-end. Cultural Heritage: Three winning designs offer fresh ideas for reviving Abidjan’s long-vacant La Pyramide, the 15-storey modernist landmark once known as “The Lady of the Plateau.” Traditions & Family: A report from Yopougon explores the emotional and financial weight of Ivorian funerals: one family has spent more than 2.5 million CFA francs on rites for a father, with more costs ahead. Music & Nightlife: Abidjan’s bar communities joined Lagos Cocktail Week, which brought together talent from Lagos, Accra and Abidjan to celebrate African cocktail culture. Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie is also expected to visit Côte d’Ivoire on his African tour promoting his upcoming London O2 concert.

Faith and Community: Qatar Charity says it has completed 11 of 18 mosques planned across Côte d’Ivoire this year, along with three Qur’an learning centres in Songon, expanding spaces for worship and education. Cocktail Culture: Abidjan bar communities joined Lagos, Accra and other cities at Lagos Cocktail Week, where cross-border collaborations celebrated Africa’s evolving drinks scene. African Music: Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie is touring the continent ahead of his 2027 O2 Arena show and is expected to visit Côte d’Ivoire as part of the push to make the concert a pan-African celebration. Creative Industries: Genevieve Nnaji attended Lagos’s CANEX WKND, a gathering for African film, fashion, music, art and literature, in a black Orire gown. Abidjan Architecture: Three competition-winning concepts have proposed new uses for La Pyramide, the vacant brutalist landmark, with ideas aimed at reviving the building and reconnecting it with city life. Funeral Traditions: A report from Yopougon captures the emotional and financial weight of lavish funeral rites: one family had spent more than 2.5 million CFA francs on a tribute to their father, with major costs still ahead.

Pan-African Cocktail Culture: Lagos Cocktail Week brought bartenders and bar communities from Abidjan, Accra and Lagos together to celebrate cross-border creativity. Music: Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie is touring African markets, including Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of his London O2 concert; more than 75% of tickets have sold. Fashion and Creative Arts: Genevieve Nnaji drew attention at Lagos’s CANEX WKND in a black Orire gown. The festival brings together African fashion, film, music, art and literature. Abidjan Landmark: Three proposals from an architecture competition offer ideas for reviving La Pyramide, the long-vacant modernist tower in Plateau. Funeral Traditions: Families in Côte d’Ivoire can spend heavily to honour the dead. One Abidjan shopkeeper had already paid more than 2.5 million CFA francs for her father’s funeral, with major costs still ahead.

Music & Culture: Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie’s African promotional tour will include Côte d’Ivoire, as more than 75% of tickets sell for his planned London O2 Arena concert. Organizers say the tour aims to make the show a pan-African celebration. Fashion & Creative Industries: Actress Genevieve Nnaji drew attention at Lagos’s CANEX WKND in a black Orire gown. The festival brings together African fashion, film, music, arts and literature. Architecture: Three proposals offer new ways to revive Abidjan’s long-vacant La Pyramide, reimagining the landmark as a space connected to the city’s community life. Tradition & Lifestyle: A funeral in Yopougon highlights the pressure of Ivorian burial customs: one family has spent more than 2.5 million CFA francs on rites, with major costs still ahead. Food & Agriculture: AfricaRice’s ministerial council met in Abidjan to discuss stronger local rice production and sales; Côte d’Ivoire currently meets about 47% of its rice needs from domestic harvests.

Abidjan’s Landmark: Three winning designs from a competition to reimagine La Pyramide offer ideas for reviving the long-vacant Plateau icon, from community-focused reuse to urban farming. Funeral Traditions: A portrait from Yopougon explores the music, dancing and costly obligations of Ivorian funerals: one family has spent more than 2.5 million CFA francs honoring a loved one. Youth and Work: A new employment clock estimates that Côte d’Ivoire has 11.2 million people aged 15 to 35; about 1.8 million are not working or in education or training. Food and Farming: Rice officials and researchers meeting in Abidjan are seeking better seeds, processing and market access as local production meets only about 47% of the country’s needs.

Architecture & Heritage: Three winning designs from a competition to revive Abidjan’s long-vacant La Pyramide offer new ways to reuse the brutalist landmark, once a symbol of post-independence optimism. Faith: Abidjan is hosting the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s West-Central Africa Year-End Meeting through November 11, bringing leaders from 22 countries together for worship and planning. Food & Farming: Representatives from 28 countries met in Abidjan to improve the competitiveness of African rice, focusing on seed quality, processing and market access. Côte d’Ivoire currently produces about 47% of its rice needs. Family Traditions: A profile of a Yopougon shopkeeper highlights the cost of elaborate funerals: her father’s rites have already exceeded 2.5 million CFA francs, with more expenses ahead. Football: Ivorian winger Amad Diallo is among 10 nominees for the 2026 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award; the winner will be announced in December.

Faith in Abidjan: The Seventh-day Adventist Church’s West-Central Africa Division is holding its annual council in Abidjan from November 4 to 11, with leaders from 22 countries. Ghana’s newly formed South East Ghana Union Mission is attending for the first time. Rice and Food Culture: Representatives from 28 countries are meeting in Abidjan to strengthen African rice research, processing and sales. Côte d’Ivoire currently produces about 47% of the rice it needs. Funeral Traditions: A family’s tribute to a loved one can cost more than 2.5 million CFA francs. Valerie Bli Lou has spent that much on her father’s funeral, with transport, a tomb and food for guests still to come. Ivorian Football: Manchester United’s Amad Diallo is among the 10 nominees for the 2026 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award; the winner will be announced in Lagos on December 7.

Funeral Traditions: In Abidjan’s Yopougon district, a daughter is spending more than 2.5 million CFA francs on her father’s funeral—over 15 times the average monthly salary. Her story shows how costly, music-filled ceremonies blend grief, dancing and the duty to honour family. Food and Farming: Representatives from 28 countries are meeting in Abidjan to strengthen African rice, with discussions on better seeds, processing and routes to market. Côte d’Ivoire currently produces about 47% of the rice it needs. Agricultural Education: A new Digital Farming School in Yamoussoukro drew about 4,000 applications for 50 places. Its first students begin a two-year program on November 9, combining farming skills with digital technology.

Funeral Traditions: In Abidjan’s Yopougon district, Valerie Bli Lou has spent more than 2.5 million CFA francs on her father’s funeral, with burial and hosting costs still to come. Her story reflects the deep importance of honoring the dead — and the financial strain lavish rites can bring. Ivorian Food Abroad: A restaurant in Dubai is giving Ivorians and other Africans a place to share familiar dishes, watch football and find a sense of home. Owner Aminatou Camara has built a gathering spot around Ivorian cuisine and community. Agricultural Education: A new Digital Farming School in Yamoussoukro will train young professionals to apply technology to local farming challenges. Its first class of 50 students starts November 9, after the school received about 4,000 applications. From Yopougon to the Pitch: Ivorian footballer Yan Diomande’s rise began in a working-class Abidjan neighborhood, where children played barefoot with makeshift balls. His journey highlights the talent emerging from communities with few resources.

Ivorian Diaspora: In Dubai, Chez Maestro serves Ivorian food and offers a taste of home for expatriates seeking community as well as a meal. Skills & Education: A new digital farming school in Yamoussoukro drew about 4,000 applications for its first 50 places. The two-year program will train young people to develop practical technology for local farms. Football & Culture: Ivorian legend Didier Zokora is among the stars set for a November 8 exhibition match in Lagos celebrating African football greats. Homegrown Talent: Yan Diomande’s journey from playing barefoot in Abidjan’s Yopougon district to rising through football is a story of talent and determination.

Ivorian Life Abroad: A Dubai restaurant serving Ivorian food has become a gathering place for expatriates, offering familiar meals, football and a sense of community far from home. Travel & Heritage: A new Côte d’Ivoire travel guide highlights the country’s beaches, rainforest, architecture and cultural diversity, while noting the US travel advisory was updated in February. Shared Rivers: Ghana’s environment minister warned illegal mining could pollute the Tano and Bia rivers and carry contaminated water across the border into Côte d’Ivoire. Food & Culture: Portland restaurant Akadi, founded by an Ivorian-born chef, brings West African cuisines to its menu, including peanut stew with fufu and suya wings. Agricultural Education: A new digital farming school in Yamoussoukro drew about 4,000 applications for its first 50 places, training students to develop practical technology solutions for agriculture.

Ivorian Diaspora: In Dubai, Chez Maestro offers Ivorian food and a taste of home, bringing expatriates together over meals, football and conversation. Cross-Border Environment: Ghana’s environment minister warned that pollution from illegal mining could contaminate the Tano and Bia rivers and strain relations with Côte d’Ivoire. Agricultural Education: A new Digital Farming School in Yamoussoukro drew about 4,000 applications for its first 50 places, with training focused on practical technology for local farms. Music and Politics: Reggae star Alpha Blondy’s call for an end to coups in neighbouring Sahel countries has stirred debate, with some critics accusing him of overlooking political tensions at home. Football Journey: Ivorian forward Yan Diomande’s rise from Abidjan’s Yopougon district reflects the talent and determination behind his journey from street football to professional ranks.

Diaspora & Food: In Dubai, Chez Maestro serves Ivorian dishes and offers expatriates a lively place to connect and feel at home. Education & Agriculture: UM6P and Côte d’Ivoire’s INP-HB have opened a digital farming school in Yamoussoukro. Its two-year course will train 50 students to develop practical technology for agriculture, after attracting about 4,000 applications. Music & Public Debate: Alpha Blondy’s call for an end to coups in the Sahel went viral after an Abidjan concert, showing how regional tensions are spilling into music and putting artists in the crossfire. Sport & Opportunity: A profile traces footballer Yan Diomande’s rise from Yopougon, where even a pair of cleats was out of reach, to a career shaped by his standout talent. Migration & Identity: A viral joke about Anlo families having relatives in Abidjan reflects decades of migration and the cultural ties linking Ghana’s Volta coast with Côte d’Ivoire.

Diaspora Dining: An Ivorian-owned Dubai restaurant, Chez Maestro, has become a gathering place for Africans seeking familiar food, football and a sense of home. Football Journey: Yan Diomande’s rise began in Abidjan’s crowded Sicogi neighborhood, where he played barefoot before a local scout spotted his talent. Youth Sport: Ivorian boys and girls joined a Dakar training camp ahead of the 2026 Youth Olympics, the first to be held in Africa. Music & Politics: Reggae star Alpha Blondy’s call for an end to coups among Côte d’Ivoire’s Sahel neighbors has stirred debate, with regional tensions spilling into the music scene. Migration & Identity: A viral joke about Anlo families having relatives in Abidjan reflects decades of migration that have woven the Ivorian city into life and identity in Ghana’s Volta Region.

From Yopougon to Madrid: Yan Diomande’s rise began in Abidjan’s crowded Sicogi neighborhood, where children played barefoot with makeshift balls. A scout spotted his talent, setting him on a path from street football to the professional game. Music and Politics: Alpha Blondy’s onstage call for Sahel leaders to end coups has fuelled debate across the region, with musicians and concert promoters increasingly caught in political tensions. Youth Spotlight: Côte d’Ivoire’s young 3x3 basketball players are preparing for Dakar 2026, the first Youth Olympic Games in Africa, after taking part in a regional training camp. Abidjan Connections: A viral joke about Anlo families having relatives in Abidjan reflects decades of migration from Ghana’s Volta coast—and the close cultural ties it has created.

Football Journey: Yan Diomande grew up in Yopougon’s Sicogi neighborhood, playing barefoot with makeshift balls before a talent scout spotted him. Music and Politics: Reggae star Alpha Blondy’s onstage call for Sahel leaders to end coups has stirred debate online, as regional tensions spill into concerts and music careers. Youth Sport: Côte d’Ivoire is among five African nations that prepared in Dakar for the Youth Olympic 3x3 basketball tournament, running November 6–9. Cultural Ties: A viral joke about Anlo families needing relatives in Abidjan points to decades of migration that have connected Ghana’s Volta Region with Côte d’Ivoire through family, language and shared experience.