Construction of Côte d’Ivoire’s Ferkessédougou Dry Port has reached 30% completion, with the multimodal logistics platform being developed around a freight model in which rail is expected to handle the majority of goods movements.
Minister of Infrastructure and Road Maintenance Yacouba Hien Sié inspected the project on 28 August 2026, with the government positioning the development as a means of reorganising logistics flows, supporting economic activity in northern Côte d’Ivoire and strengthening trade with neighbouring hinterland countries.
The dry port is being developed on a 732-hectare site and will include a multimodal platform, specialised terminals, a 61,000 m³ hydrocarbon depot, a livestock market and a regional abattoir.
The first lot, being delivered under public project ownership by COMPLANT LTD, represents an investment of CFA254.171 billion. According to the ministry, 15% of the financing is being provided by the Ivorian government and 85% by a pool of Chinese banks led by ICBC.
Rail is expected to form a central part of the logistics model. The ministry said the dry port would draw on rail connections from the Port of Abidjan to serve northern Côte d’Ivoire and neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, with rail intended to carry the majority of goods traffic. Hydrocarbons are ultimately expected to be transported by both rail and pipeline.
The project is also intended to transfer part of the logistics activity currently concentrated in Abidjan, reducing pressure on the port, road network and traffic in the country’s economic capital.
Abdoulaye Alliagui, coordinator of the project management unit, said overall execution had exceeded 30%. Earthworks were well advanced, buildings were under construction and warehouses had entered the finishing phase. Foundation works for the hydrocarbon storage facilities had also started.
Delivery of the project is expected by the end of 2028.
Beyond its logistics role, the government expects the site to accommodate industrial activities including agro-processing, textiles and construction materials. More than CFA14 billion has already been mobilised by the state for customary rights and the resettlement of affected communities.
During the site visit, Hien Sié called for schedules to be maintained and for improved coordination between the parties involved. He also instructed the project coordinator to negotiate, together with the prefect and local authorities, for an additional 700 hectares to be secured around the site.
If concluded, this would increase the available area from 732 hectares to 1,432 hectares and preserve land for future expansion before surrounding urban development limits further growth.
The government envisages Ferkessédougou as a logistics link between southern and northern Côte d’Ivoire, the ports of Abidjan and San Pedro, and hinterland markets extending into Burkina Faso, Mali and north-eastern Guinea.
