On Thursday, 30 April 2026, the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Côte d’Ivoire, hosted the third session of ‘La Matinale de l’Export’ at the Hotel Tiama in Abidjan. This capacity-building programme is dedicated to Ivorian businesses committed to an internationalisation strategy.
This session, which attracted a large audience of businesses, focused on a strategic theme: compliance with international standards and certifications for export. In a context of globalisation marked by increasingly stringent technical, sanitary, and regulatory requirements, access to international markets no longer relies solely on the intrinsic quality of products, but also on their compliance with prevailing standards.
Representing the Director General of the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency, Dr Kaladji FADIGA, Mr Vamé COULIBALY, Director of Business Competitiveness Development and SME Capacity Building, emphasised that the structural transformation of the Ivorian economy rests on establishing a genuine culture of quality. In this regard, the Agency is committed to a proactive approach aimed at supporting companies in upgrading their offerings—an essential condition for diversifying and strengthening the competitiveness of Ivorian exports.
During the discussions, participants received practical insights into the normative requirements of international markets, certification processes, and the support mechanisms available. The presentations helped to better understand the challenges faced by companies, particularly SMEs and first-time exporters, for whom standards can represent a constraint due to their complexity, cost, or a lack of information.
Led by a panel of high-level experts, the session featured contributions from Mr Edmond KOUASSI, Deputy Director General of CODINORM; Mr Fabien YAPI, Director of Quality, Training, Research and Development at LANEMA; Mrs Olga KOUASSI, Director General of the Bureau Norme Audit (BNA); Mr Mohammed SANOGO, representing Mr Tahirou SANOGO, Director General of FOOD’S CO; and Mr Marcel COMPAORÉ, Regional Director for West and Central Africa at Intertek. Their contributions highlighted the decisive role of standards and certifications, not merely as regulatory requirements, but primarily as levers for credibility, market access, and competitive differentiation.
Through this initiative, the Côte d’Ivoire Export Agency reaffirms its commitment to providing sustainable support to Ivorian companies in their internationalisation process, by fostering a better understanding of foreign trade issues and assisting them in adapting to the requirements of international markets.
