At exactly 10:30 Nigerian time, Air Cote D’ Ivoire departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for Abidjan for the African Basketball League games to be played in Abidjan. After one hour, thirty minutes, we landed safely at the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport, located 10 miles (16 kilometres) south East of Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire. Bonjour! Bonjour! with smiles, the airport staff greeted. I replied with a smile too as this is my first Abidjan experience.
Still at the airport with fellow Nigerian journalists and referees for the ABL games, I exchanged pleasantries with everyone and surely, the time on my mobile phone had changed to the local time in Abidjan. With a temperature of 32 degrees, the weather was relatively warm. The roads not as busy with cars and traffic was minimal, we headed straight to the hotel. On our way to the hotel, I could not take my eyes away from the beautiful trees planted at the airport premises, a replica of what a games’ village looks like.
What caught my attention the most as we journied to our hotel, was with the way the people were highly engaged in farming even around the airport which tells you why the country is known for commercial agriculture, over half the labour force in Ivory Coast are employed through farming; over a quarter (around 6 million) are involved in growing cocoa beans, the country’s main export. Coffee and cotton producers also employ many workers.
Farming livestock in Ivory Coast Coconut, palm and pineapples are increasingly important in employment terms. These crops provide jobs in processing plants (producing palm and coconut oils and soap) and canning facilities.
The growth of industry and service sectors, such as telecommunications and banking, has been hampered by recent periods of unrest. Many firms relocated their offices to cities elsewhere on the continent.
Ivory Coast also has many subsistence farmers, growing crops for their own needs and selling any surplus to local markets.
Counting these workers and livestock farmers, over two-thirds of people in Ivory Coast are involved in some form of agriculture.
On arriving the Hotel Ivotel at Plateau Indenie, Abidjan, I was amused at the beautiful trees and elegant road that leads to the hotel; a very serene environment, void of noise and the likes. After staying 72 hours without hearing any noise arising from a generator plant, I then inquired from a friend who also said same. I couldn’t imagine why the ‘giant’ of Africa still experiences black outs while a smaller country like Ivory Coast with an estimated population of just over 22 million people boasts of regular power supply.
After spending 8,000 CFA for a meal at the hotel, I decided to go out to look for a Nigerian canteen, where I can eat our local food. Fortunately, I saw a canteen with the name which tells you already that you are in a Nigerian terrain. The inscription read ‘Ola- Oluwa’, the name caught my attention, I walked in and meet on Osenatu Azeez, a Nigerian born in Cote D’ Ivoire who sells at the restaurant. Looking further, I saw different Nigerian delicacies that made me salivate. I decided to go for Amala and Ewedu with Shaki and Eja Kika.
Very furious about the upsetting electricity issues in Nigeria, I asked Osenatu “do you enjoy constant power supply here?” and she confidently replied: “Yes, we always have power except when there are major repairs which don’t last more than a day,” she said. I respected her pride after all, she was merely speaking the truth… I can’t be that bold if you ask me same about my dear country however, I shall remain optimistic perhaps one day we shall experience true change in all sectors of our economy especially power can I get an Amen?
ANTHONY NLEBEM
