Abidjan wants to be Africa’s innovation summit as Ivoire Tech Forum returns 🚀🇨🇮

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Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s economic hub, is gearing up for the second edition of the Ivoire Tech Forum. The event was officially launched on September 22, 2026 by Djibril Ouattara, the country’s Minister of Digital Transition and Innovation, and will run from November 11 to 13. This year’s edition puts emerging technologies front and center, with one stated goal: bringing tech builders, startups in particular, closer to the people who fund them.

Emerging tech takes center stage 🔧

According to information released by the ministry, the theme is « Innover pour transformer : accélérer la croissance par les technologies émergentes », or « Innovate to transform: accelerating growth through emerging technologies. » The forum aims to bring together players from across the tech ecosystem. Organizers also say they want to give young startups a place to pitch their ideas to funders. The stated aim is to turn projects into real opportunities, economic value and jobs.

Startup–investor meetings, a hackathon and more 💡

To make those connections happen, the program lists several formats. Targeted meetings are meant to let startups and investors talk directly, backed by dedicated professional networking spaces. There will also be an innovation village, a hackathon, masterclasses and high-level panels. The Ivoire Tech Week, a series of ecosystem events, will run alongside the forum.

Abidjan eyes a bigger role in regional tech 🌍

With the forum and the Tech Week, Côte d’Ivoire is signaling that it wants Abidjan to be a leading tech hub in West Africa. At the launch, Minister Ouattara said: « I want, with you, to make this Forum, in the years ahead, the regional benchmark summit for tech innovation in Africa. » The ambition is clear. The harder part comes after the handshakes: whether these meetings translate into actual funding and jobs is what the November edition will be judged on. (sentence added, to be validated)

What would it take for a tech forum to create real connections between African startups and investors? Tell us in the comments.