By Ayomide Otitoju
The Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program has formally welcomed Côte d’Ivoire as its newest member following the signing of a Membership Agreement on the sidelines of the 5th AATB Board of Governors Meeting in Abuja, hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The agreement was signed by Eng. Nasser Al-Thekair, General Manager of Trade & Business Development at the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), and Mr. Clement Kouakou, Deputy Director of the Ministerial Cabinet in Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development. The move underscores Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with Arab and African nations and advancing its role in regional integration.
Under the new membership, AATB and Côte d’Ivoire will jointly develop a comprehensive Country Program aimed at enhancing trade and investment flows, boosting export competitiveness, and supporting industrial development. The program will also focus on logistics capacity building, quality infrastructure, and digital trade readiness.
Expected initiatives include feasibility studies for quality control laboratories, support for export-focused e-commerce platforms, skills development for the logistics sector, and B2B matchmaking across priority value chains such as construction and agri-food.
Côte d’Ivoire’s accession marks another milestone in AATB’s expanding engagement across Africa, reinforcing collective efforts to drive trade-led growth, value chain integration, and stronger regional connectivity.
