• Legal and Regulatory Framework

  The Ivorian government has adopted several texts aimed at promoting better spatial structuring, securing and modernizing urban planning and land management. These texts aim to ensure the digital transformation of urban land and the mastery of the entire parcel fabric. They thus strengthen urban land governance through the simplification, dematerialization, and streamlining of procedures. 

  These include, among others: 

  • Law No. 2020-624 of August 14, 2020, establishing the Urban Planning and Urban Land Code. This code organizes and regulates matters related to access to land ownership and urban planning; - Law No. 2024-351 of June 6, 2024, amending Law No. 2020-624 of August 14, 2020, establishing the Urban Planning and Urban Land Code; 
  • Decree No. 2021-862 of December 15, 2021, creating, assigning, organizing, and operating the Integrated Urban Land Management System (SIGFU). The SIGFU is a computerized and integrated management system for spatial and textual data of urban land, aimed at fully automating the processing circuit of administrative acts; 
  • Decree No. 2021-785 of December 8, 2021, determining the procedure for issuing the Definitive Concession Order (ACD); 
  • Order No. 0045/MCLU-CAB/DAJC of September 10, 2024, concerning the regularization of applied and unapproved subdivision plans; 
  • Order No. 32 of July 5, 2022, regulating the authorization to subdivide; 
  • Order No. 288 of May 2, 2019, concerning the issuance of duplicates of the Definitive Concession Order (ACD) aimed at filling the legal gap that previously existed in case of loss; 
  • Order No. 289 of May 2, 2019, concerning the issuance of the Property Transfer Certificate, aimed at governing cases of parcel fragmentation that have already been subject to an ACD. 

• City Planning
  • The Master Urban Planning Scheme of Greater Abidjan (SDUGA) was adopted by Decree No. 2016-138 of March 9, 2016, and published in May 2017; 
  • The urban unit 6 of the detailed urban planning plan of the SDUGA, which includes the neighborhoods of Treichville, Marcory, and Koumassi, has been completed at 100%; 
  • The revision of the Master Urban Planning Scheme of Greater Abidjan (SDUGA) for the horizon of 2040 is underway (physical completion rate as of the end of September 2024: 95%); 
  • The Master Urban Planning Scheme of Greater Yamoussoukro and Attiégouakro was adopted by Decree No. 2023-952 of December 6, 2023; 
  • The master urban planning plans for 30 regional capitals were also developed, approved, and disseminated in 2018; 
  • The detailed urban planning plans for the cities of Bouaké and San Pédro have been completed; 
  • The Master Urban Planning Plans and Detailed Urban Planning Plans for departmental capitals are ongoing (physical completion rate as of the end of November 2024: 60%); 
  • The Detailed Urban Planning Plans for the 10 urban units of Abidjan are ongoing (physical completion rate as of the end of September 2024: 70%); 
  • The delimitation of 189 villages in the Abidjan District is ongoing (provisional plans for 34 delineated villages available); 
  • The regularization of irregular subdivisions in the Abidjan district and cities in the interior is ongoing (Abidjan: 43 approved plans and the interior of the country: 172 approved plans). 
• Securing the Procedure for Issuing the ACD

To increase the production of ACDs and issue secure and tamper-proof documents, the government has initiated a project to simplify and digitally transform urban land management by establishing an Integrated Urban Land Management System (SIGFU). In this context, the mass titling of urban land parcels is a structuring step of the SIGFU. This involves producing and issuing land titles on a large scale at the time of subdivision approval, thereby reducing administrative formalities to contradictory boundary marking. Furthermore, the Council of Ministers' Communiqué No. 632 of May 3, 2023, regarding the introduction of the Customary Right of Use Certificate (ADU) in urban land management in Côte d'Ivoire has entered its application phase since July 2024 for new subdivisions. Starting in 2025, the ADU will be required for any ACD request. 

The implementation of the SIGFU is expected to reduce the time for issuing the ACD by 90% and increase annual production capacity to 100,000 ACDs in the Abidjan District, compared to the current average of 15,000. 

• Addressing and Urban Restructuring 

In order to establish a comprehensive addressing system and a unique addressing reference guaranteeing the location and referencing of occupation units on the road network of the Abidjan District, the government initiated the Abidjan District Addressing Project (PADA) in 2018. As of the end of November 2024, street marking and occupation unit works are effective in the five zones of the Autonomous District of Abidjan. More than 12,000 names for boulevards, avenues, and streets have been approved. The addressing system is effective in zone 1 (Port-Bouët, Marcory, Koumassi, and Treichville) and zone 2 (Plateau, Adjamé, Attécoubé East). The installation of plates for occupation units is ongoing in Port-Bouët, Marcory, Koumassi, and Treichville. 

Regarding urban restructuring, a Project for the Development of Restructured Neighborhoods of Abidjan (PAQRA) was initiated in 2018 in five neighborhoods of Abidjan (Abobo pk 18; Yopougon Gesco; Koumassi grand campement, Koumassi Divo 1, and Koumassi Divo 2). It aims to improve the levels of basic urban services (road infrastructure, sanitation, electricity, drinking water, and socio-educational and health facilities). Detailed project management studies for these 5 pilot neighborhoods have been completed. 

• Perspectives 

  Future actions in urban planning will focus on: 

  • Continuing the regularization of urban land and improving the functioning of the mortgage guarantee system by ensuring reliable land procedures and cadastre; 
  • Continuing the development of detailed urban planning plans for the 10 urban units of the SDUGA; 
  • Continuing the development of Master Urban Planning Plans and Detailed Urban Planning Plans for departmental capitals (80 localities); 
  • Updating the Master Urban Planning Plans (PUD), developing Detailed Urban Planning Plans (PUd), and Strategic Economic and Local Development Plans for six regional capitals (Man, Odienné, Ferkessédougou, Bouna, Boundiali, and Korhogo); 
  • Continuing the delimitation of village territories in the Autonomous District of Abidjan; 
  • Continuing the rectification/regularization of applied and unapproved subdivisions in Abidjan and in the interior of the country; 
  • Continuing the implementation of the project for the development of five (05) restructured neighborhoods of Abidjan (PAQRA); 
  • Continuing the implementation of the addressing project for the Autonomous District of Abidjan; 
  • Continuing the implementation of the Addressing Project for Interior Cities (PAVI) in Yamoussoukro, Daloa, and Korhogo.