The Poro Region is located in the north of Côte d'Ivoire and is subdivided into four (04) Departments: Korhogo (Capital), M'Bengué, Sinématiali, and Dikodougou. It covers an area of 13,400 km2.
The population of the region is as follows:
ENTITY |
POPULATION |
HOUSEHOLDS |
||||
MEN |
WOMEN |
TOTAL |
SEX RATIO |
NUMBER |
AVERAGE SIZE |
|
Poro Region |
524,531 |
515,929 |
1,040,461 |
102 |
180,173 |
5.8 |
Korhogo Department |
377,466 |
370,927 |
748,393 |
102 |
133,984 |
5.6 |
KORHOGO (Capital) |
225,190 |
215,736 |
440,926 |
104 |
81,738 |
5.4 |
Source: INS, RGPH 2021
- Korhogo, its capital, is a Main Economic Connector (a large city at an advanced stage of urbanization facilitating urban economies through a diversified economic base that fosters innovation) with an agricultural vocation: the capital of national cotton production and a center for beef and sheep production (Study on the Competitive Economic Pole Development Program - PEC, 2018). It also produces shea butter, mangoes, sugarcane, and rice;
- One (01) industrial zone exists: located in the Korhogo department with 340 ha, including an industrial land reserve of 224 ha (MCIPPME, 2022);
- Mobile network coverage (ARTCI, July 2023): 95.38% of localities and 96.37% of the population are covered.
- Health: The health infrastructure in the region includes essential technical platforms.
Health infrastructure |
Number |
Primary Contact Health Facilities (ESPC) |
151 |
General Hospitals |
03 |
Regional Hospital Centers |
01 |
Private Profit-Making Health Facilities |
18 |
Functional Operating Theaters |
03 |
Functional Gynecological-Obstetric Operating Rooms |
03 |
Functional Public Radiology Services |
02 |
Public Dental Clinics |
02 |
Private Dental Clinics |
01 |
Public Pharmacies |
12 |
Private Pharmacies |
18 |
Source: MSHPCMU, 2022
The key sectors of activity include agriculture and agro-industry, animal resources, mining resources, and tourism.
- Agriculture:
Type of crop |
Crops |
Production (in tons) |
||
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
||
Cash crop |
Cotton |
204,336 |
197,200 |
146,176 |
Cashew |
81,173 |
110,941 |
113,296 |
|
Food crops |
Plantain banana |
|
|
|
Yam |
113,189 |
116,117 |
58,876 |
|
Corn |
188,587 |
198,480 |
118,898 |
|
Rice |
489,892 |
407,335 |
455,824 |
|
Millet |
2,812 |
2,924 |
ND |
|
Potato |
14,504 |
14,924 |
ND |
|
Sorghum |
10,464 |
10,940 |
ND |
|
Peanut |
51,330 |
53,414 |
73,422 |
|
Cassava |
4,637 |
5,007 |
7,220 |
|
Vegetable crops |
Eggplant |
4,652 |
4,762 |
48 |
Okra |
3,190 |
3,286 |
39 |
|
Tomato |
1,450 |
1,495 |
31 |
Source: MEMINADERPV, 2023
- Animal resources:
Type of livestock |
Species |
Livestock (in number of heads) |
2022 |
||
Poultry |
Broilers |
731,391 |
Layers |
505,759 |
|
Traditional chickens |
10,929,150 |
|
Ruminants |
Cattle |
219,189 |
Sheep |
113,986 |
|
Goats |
129,294 |
|
Pigs |
Traditional pig |
57,004 |
Modern pig |
Source: MIRAH, estimate 2022
- Mining resources: a gold mine with a production capacity of 7 to 8 tons per year and another reserve of 90 tons, a manganese mine;
- Agro-industry: three (03) cotton ginning companies, three (03) mango drying units;
- Tourism: weavers of Waraniéré, the fabrics of Fapaha, the basket makers of Torgokaha, the traditional forges of Koni, the bead makers of Kapélé, the sacred hut of Niofoin or the Protective Hut, Mount Korhogo, the Museum of Patriarch Péléforo Gbon, the panther dances or Boloye of Natio, the Wambélé of Sinématiali.
As part of the implementation of the National Development Plan 2021-2025 (PND 2021-2025), the Poro Region is included in the area covered by the Agro-pole for the transformation and export of fruits and cashew nuts (Agro-pole 1).
Investment opportunities exist in the following sectors:
- Agriculture: Investments in hydro-agricultural development, irrigation infrastructure, support for production and storage, development of food crop sectors (Maize, Millet, Sorghum, Rice, Onions), cash crop sectors (Cotton, Cashew, Mango, ...), and livestock sectors (Cattle, Sheep).
- Education-Training: creation and operation of schools, colleges, high schools, and universities, technical and vocational schools;
- Agro-industry: establishment of industries for processing agricultural raw materials (cotton, cashew, mango, …);
- Tourism: investment in the construction of hotel complexes and the creation of tourist circuits;
- Mining resources: exploration and exploitation of mining resources (gold, manganese, and tantalum).
Some priority projects and actions have been identified for the benefit of the Poro Region, including:
NB |
Project or Action Description |
Planning Document |
Estimated Cost (FCFA) |
Observations |
01 |
Construction of social and economic housing |
PND 2021 -2025 |
Not specified |
Business opportunity to seize |
02 |
Construction of a wholesale market and collection and grouping centers |
PND 2021 -2025 |
Not specified |
Business opportunity to seize |
03 |
Exploitation of gold mines |
PND 2021 -2025 |
Not specified |
Business opportunity to seize |
04 |
Development of an industrial park dedicated to cashew processing in Korhogo (25 ha) and creation of satellite processing units for cashew in other locations |
PND 2021 -2025 |
Not specified |
Business opportunity to seize |
05 |
Development of an Industrial Zone (28 ha) |
PND 2021 -2025 |
Not specified |
Business opportunity to seize |
06 |
Construction of a factory for manufacturing solar panels and equipment with a capacity of 50 MW per year |
Project catalog of the Poro region - Edition 2024 |
36,728,648,080 |
Funding to be mobilized |
07 |
Construction of a factory for producing oil from shea butter (1,000 tons per year) |
Project catalog of the Poro region - Edition 2024 |
7,716,877,500 |
Funding to be mobilized as part of the Agro-Industrial Pole Project in the North (2PAI-NORD) |
08 |
Construction of a factory for producing oil and animal feed from cotton (3,800 tons of oil and 10,700 tons of animal feed per year) |
Project catalog of the Poro region - Edition 2024 |
6,090,640,000 |
Funding to be mobilized as part of the 2PAI-NORD Project |
09 |
Establishment of a biofuel and fuel production unit from cashew shells with a capacity of 2,460 tons per year |
Project catalog of the Poro region - Edition 2024 |
239,340,000 |
Funding to be mobilized |
10 |
Construction of a factory for producing animal feed from rice bran, mango peels, and cashew apple peels (340,000 tons of animal feed per year) |
Project catalog of the Poro region - Edition 2024 |
38,919,306,242 |
Funding to be mobilized as part of the 2PAI-NORD Project |
Source: MEPD, 2024 / PS-Gouv2