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:

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.

Source: MSHPCMU, 2022

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

• Agriculture:

Source: MEMINADERPV, 2023        ND: Not Available

Animal Resources in Bounkani and Gontougo:

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:

Source: MEPD, 2024 / PS-Gouv2