Over 200 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors are expected at the 3rd edition of the “Made in Côte d’Ivoire” Fair –
“FOMCI” -, which aims to promote products manufactured or obtained in Côte d’Ivoire.
“FOMCI”, this biannual event “will be held from March 26 to 30, 2025 at the Parc des Expositions in Abidjan, under the theme: Focus on competitiveness and innovation”, declared this Thursday, December 19, 2024, the general commissioner Mr. Aime Koizan, during a launching ceremony.
This platform dedicated to the promotion of the transformation and consumption of local products aims to be “a showcase of the industrial, agricultural, culinary, clothing, cosmetic, electronic, technological, pharmaceutical, cultural and literary know-how of Côte d’Ivoire”, he said.
“This third edition will be presented in the form of a hypermarket segmented according to product categories and will be furnished with discovery exhibitions, sales exhibitions, B to B, B to G, B to C exchanges and panels organised around the general theme,” Mr. Koizan noted.
He announced a “major innovation” with spaces that will be set up in the form of pavilions dedicated in particular to local textile creation, Ivorian literature with signing sessions, start-ups and SMEs. A fashion show is also planned.
FOMCI “also offers our entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their innovations, create synergies and develop strategic partnerships,” the Ivorian Minister of Trade and Industry Dr. Souleymane Diarrassouba stressed.
“This is why we must work to increase the added value and quality of our products, while adopting innovative approaches to meet the challenges of increased global competitiveness,” he added. “I therefore invite private sector companies to take an active part in this event” and “members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Côte
d’Ivoire to mobilize economic operators and businessmen from their respective countries,” Mr. Souleymane Diarrassouba said.
For him, “FOMCI is much more than a simple exhibition showcase.” It is a space “for sharing, exchanges and inspiration that aims to encourage the local transformation of all our products and to encourage consumers to prioritise” Made in Côte d’Ivoire.
“The significant economic improvement recorded by our country over the last decade, with a growth rate of 6.2 percent in 2022 and 6.5 percent in 2023, cannot ignore essential concerns for our populations and for
the future of the country,” he added. The Ivorian Minister of Trade and Industry, Souleymane Diarrassouba, assured stakeholders that “FOMCI 2025 aims to be the maturity edition” and will promote “facilities for the
participation of start-ups and very small enterprises (VSEs).”
Dr. Bah-Kone Ranie-Didice, the president of the Scientific Committee, noted that the fair will be marked by interactive activities, with participatory panels, round tables, a etest Made In Côte d’Ivoiree space and a discovery trail.
Five sub-themes will be addressed, including technology and digitalisation, sustainable competitiveness, standards and certifications, collaborative innovation, governance and public policy, she said.
The second edition of the Made In Côte d’Ivoire Fair, which was held from November 22 to 26, 2023, at the Parc des Expositions in Abidjan, recorded more than 150 exhibitors spread over 118 stands, and more than 50,000 visitors.
AP/Sf/fss/as/APA