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Abidjan Metro (Métro d'Abidjan)

West Africa's first metro system, a 37 km line set to transform urban mobility in Côte d'Ivoire's economic capital.

Explainer film in production
§ 01About the project

The Abidjan Metro is a 37.5 km metro line under construction connecting Anyama in the north to the Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in the south. When completed, it will be West Africa's first metro system. The project, estimated at over €1.7 billion (approximately $1.9 billion), is being built by a consortium led by Bouygues and Keolis, with financing from the French Development Agency (AFD), the World Bank, and the European Investment Bank. The line will feature 18 stations and is designed to carry 500,000 passengers per day.

§ 02What it aims to do
  1. 01Provide a modern mass transit system for Abidjan's 6+ million residents
  2. 02Reduce average commute times and chronic road congestion across the city
  3. 03Connect the airport to the northern suburbs via a single rapid transit line
  4. 04Lower transportation costs for Abidjan's workforce
  5. 05Reduce carbon emissions from road-based transport
  6. 06Catalyse transit-oriented development along the metro corridor
§ 03Milestones

  1. 2017 · completed

    Feasibility and Planning

    Detailed feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments were completed for the metro corridor.

  2. 2019 · completed

    Financing Secured

    Multilateral financing agreements with AFD, World Bank, and EIB were finalized for the project.

  3. 2022 · completed

    Construction Begins

    Major construction works commenced with ground-breaking on the northern sections of the alignment.

  4. 2024 · in progress

    Viaduct Construction Advances

    Elevated viaduct segments were progressively installed across multiple sections of the route.

  5. 2026 · upcoming

    Planned Partial Opening

    Target date for partial line opening with initial stations operational.

  6. 2028 · upcoming

    Full Operations Target

    Full line commissioning with all 18 stations and maximum train frequency planned.

§ 04Engineering & resources

Construction Lead

Bouygues Travaux Publics

French construction giant leading the civil works consortium for the metro's infrastructure.

Operations Partner

Keolis

French transport operator selected to manage and operate the metro system under a concession.

Lead Financier

French Development Agency (AFD)

Provided the largest share of multilateral financing for the project.

Project Owner

Government of Côte d'Ivoire

The national government through the Ministry of Transport is the project owner and sponsor.

  • Standard gauge metro rail system
  • Elevated and at-grade sections (mostly elevated)
  • Electric traction with overhead catenary
  • Automated fare collection and smart card ticketing
  • 18 modern metro stations with accessibility features
  • Alstom metro rolling stock

What it means for the community

When operational, the Abidjan Metro is expected to serve 500,000 passengers daily, significantly reducing commute times that currently average 2-3 hours for many workers. The project is creating over 3,000 construction jobs and will generate approximately 1,000 permanent operations positions. It is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 200,000 tonnes per year and catalyse real estate and commercial development along the corridor.

§ 05Articles

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§ 06Partners & owners
  • Government of Côte d'Ivoire (Ministry of Transport)

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