Bounkani Region

The Bounkani Region is located in the North-East extremity of Côte d'Ivoire and is subdivided into four (04) Departments: Bouna (Capital), Doropo, Nassian, Téhini. It covers an area of 22,091 km², which is 6.85% of the national territory. Half of the Bounkani territory is occupied by the Comoé National Park (11,090 km²).

 

• The population of the region is as follows:

ENTITY	POPULATION				HOUSEHOLDS
	MALES	FEMALES	TOTAL	SEX RATIO	NUMBER	AVERAGE SIZE
Bounkani Region	216,310	210,727	427,037	103	66,592	6.4
Bouna Department	89,908	88,173	178,081	102	28,864	6.2
Bouna (Capital)	48,232	46,651	94,883	103	17,285	5.5

Source: INS, RGPH 2021

 

• Bouna, the capital of the region, is a Secondary Economic Connector (a city that has reached an intermediate stage of urbanization facilitating localization economies through competition among businesses in the same sector) focused on the production of cashew nuts, shea butter, livestock, and tourism (Study on the Competitive Economic Pole Development Program - PEC, 2018);
• An industrial zone exists in the Bouna department with an industrial land reserve of 82 hectares (MCIPPME, 2022);
• Mobile network coverage (July 2023): 77.34% of localities and 77.66% of the population are covered;

 

• Health: The health infrastructure in the region includes most of the technical platforms.

Health Infrastructure	Number
Primary Contact Health Facilities (ESPC)	84
General Hospitals	04
Confessional General Hospitals	01
Private Profit-Making Health Facilities	02
Functional Operating Theaters	02
Functional Gynecological-Obstetric Operating Rooms	01
Functional Public Radiology Services	01
Public Dental Clinics	01
Public Pharmacies	09
Private Pharmacies	03

Source: MSHPCMU, 2022

 

The key economic sectors include agriculture and agro-industry, animal resources, wood industry, and tourism.

 

• Agriculture:

Type of Crop	Crop	Production (in tons)
		2021	2022	2023
Cash Crops	Cotton	204	197	146
	Cashew	19,124	34,469	35,200
Food Crops	Plantain Banana	758	787	ND
	Yam	18,760	20,254	ND
	Yam	425,537	436,544	299,625
	Corn	38,827	40,864	48,028
	Rice	3,196	7,129	3,739
	Millet	33,642	34,980	ND
	Sorghum	9,918	10,369	ND
	Taro	586	603	ND
	Peanut	1,598	663	2,102
Vegetable Crops	Eggplant	961	984	2,102
	Okra	544	561	86
	Tomato	400	412	69

Source: MEMINADERPV, 2023        ND: Not Available

 

 

Animal Resources in Bounkani and Gontougo:

Type of Livestock	Species	Livestock (in number of heads)
		2022
Poultry	Broilers	544,023
	Layers	1,895,168
	Traditional Chickens	71,193
Ruminants	Cattle	115,686
	Sheep	39,045
	Goats	108,996
Pigs	Traditional Pig	17,230
	Modern Pig

Source: MIRAH, estimate 2022

 

• Mineral Resources: Mining exploration permits for gold have been granted to companies.
• Tourism: The tourism offerings in the region include:
• The Comoé National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site);
• Potières de Motiamo;
• Crocodiles and sacred monkeys with the Python "APPAÊ" in Krebio-Domiambra;
• Mosque and the finger of the chief coming from Mecca in Bondo-Dioula.
• Trade: 15% of the population in the Bouna Department and 25% in Doropo engage in trade as their main activity and benefit from the effects of cross-border trade with Ghana and Burkina Faso. Traditional trade, practiced by Dioula and Koulango women, mainly concerns agricultural products (yam, mango, shea, tomato, cashew nuts).

 

As part of the implementation of the National Development Plan (PND) 2021-2025, the Bounkani Region is included in the area covered by the Agro-Pole of agro-ecology and agro-diversification (Agro-pole 2).

Investment opportunities exist in the following sectors:

• Agriculture and agro-industry: Investments in infrastructure, such as irrigation systems, to address low rainfall (600-800 mm) and in the development of food crop sectors (Yam and Market Gardening), cash crop sectors (Cashew), and the processing of these agricultural products.
• Mining resources: The region has mining potential, particularly in gold.

Some priority projects and actions have been identified for the benefit of the Bounkani Region, namely:

 

NB	Project or Action Description	Planning Document	Estimated Cost (FCFA)	Observations
01	Construction of a photovoltaic solar power plant in Bouna (25 MW)	PND 2021 -2025	Not specified	Business opportunity to seize
02	Electrification of localities in Bounkani		Not specified	Business opportunity to seize
03	Construction and strengthening of roads: heavy reshaping (1,361.20 km), light reshaping (2,215 km) and structures (06)		Not specified	Business opportunity to seize
04	Construction of social and economic housing		Not specified	Business opportunity to seize
05	Implementation of the land development program for the production of housing and serviced land accessible to all		Not specified	Business opportunity to seize
06	Implementation of the Competitive Economic Pole (PEC) program in Bouna (Secondary Economic Connector)		Not specified	Business opportunity to seize

Source: MEPD, 2024 / PS-Gouv2