Côte d’Ivoire Partners With Mistral AI to Develop Local AI Applications

The Ivorian government has entered into a strategic partnership with French artificial intelligence company Mistral AI to develop AI applications for public services and key economic sectors. The agreement was signed in Abidjan on 17 August and announced by the government on 1 September 2026. It will begin with an audit of Côte d’Ivoire’s AI ecosystem to identify relevant companies and institutions, assess available data and infrastructure, and determine where AI could deliver practical benefits. Public administration, healthcare, education and agriculture are among the initial priority areas.

Mapping Côte d’Ivoire’s AI Ecosystem

The audit will examine the country’s existing data resources, digital infrastructure, technical skills and organisations working with AI. Its findings will be used to develop an operational roadmap and identify projects for initial implementation.

Mistral AI will work with Artefact Côte d’Ivoire, a data and AI company, to adapt the assessment to local requirements.

The government expects the exercise to identify gaps in data, computing infrastructure and skills that would need to be addressed before AI projects can be deployed at scale.

Agriculture is one of the areas under consideration. The sector accounts for about 20% of Côte d’Ivoire’s GDP, and the government says AI could be applied to crop monitoring, agricultural input management and climate-risk forecasting.

In healthcare, potential applications include diagnostics, telemedicine and the management of healthcare services, particularly where access to medical services remains uneven.

Education and research are also part of the strategy, with a focus on developing the technical skills needed to support an AI ecosystem. In public administration, possible applications include data management and automation of selected government processes.

AI Becomes a Priority Under Digital Roadmap

The Mistral AI partnership forms part of Côte d’Ivoire’s 2026–2028 digital roadmap, which includes 40 major projects and identifies artificial intelligence as a strategic priority.

The government has allocated CFAF 1.3 trillion ($2.3 billion) to its national AI strategy and has already entered into several agreements covering AI skills, data and public-sector applications.

In May 2025, Côte d’Ivoire signed agreements with CEDITECH, Amini Corp and TBI covering training, data and the use of AI in public services. Two further agreements were signed with G42 Presight in July 2025 to support public-administration modernisation and digital development.

The latest partnership with Mistral AI moves the strategy towards identifying specific applications and the infrastructure required to support them.

Côte d’Ivoire aims to increase the digital sector’s contribution to GDP to between 12% and 15% by 2030, from an estimated 6% to 8% currently. Developing scientific and technological skills is part of the government’s plan to reach that target.