Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire - A meeting was held on October 26, 2026, between the President of the Economic, Social, Environmental and Cultural Council (CESEC), Eugène Aka Aouélé, and a delegation from the Directorate of School Canteens, led by its Director, Jérôme Kobon Ayékoé. The discussion focused on the progress of the School Feeding Program (PAS) and the challenges related to sustaining school canteens in Côte d'Ivoire.
President Aka Aouélé emphasized that collective efforts are necessary to ensure that every student in public primary schools has access to a school meal every day. As the President of the Sud-Comoé Regional Council, he stressed the importance he attaches to school feeding. The council has allocated a budget of 66 million CFA francs to school canteens from 1999 to 2026.
The Director of Social, Cultural and Human Development, Flore Amian, highlighted the council's collaboration with local prefectural authorities to establish a regional committee for sustaining school canteens in Sud-Comoé. This committee coordinates production and food supply activities for canteens. In the 2026-2027 academic year, a cooperative rice producer delivered 973.6 tons to the Directorate of School Canteens, generating 389.44 million CFA francs and promoting local purchases.
Director Jérôme Kobon Ayékoé thanked President Aka Aouélé for his constant support to the PAS and requested his assistance in mobilizing local authorities for the program's benefit. They also discussed the possibility of extending the program to secondary schools, particularly proximity colleges, to encourage students to stay in school, especially in rural areas.
The two officials identified major challenges, including the scarcity of arable land and the aging of members of groups mobilized around school canteens. Director Ayékoé expressed gratitude to PAS stakeholders, including donors, technical and financial partners, and those investing in school meals to provide a hot, balanced, healthy, and nutritious meal to all students in public primary schools.
The government of Côte d'Ivoire, through the Ministry of National Education, Literacy, and Technical Education (MENAET), has made efforts to increase the number of ration days, which rose from 33 in 2025-2026 to 56 in the 2026-2027 academic year, out of a yearly norm of 120 days. President Aka Aouélé and Director Ayékoé agreed on the importance of addressing challenges to ensure the program's success.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to sustaining and expanding the school feeding program, which aims to improve the well-being and education of students in Côte d'Ivoire. The program's impact is expected to increase with the continued support of stakeholders and local authorities.
Key points
- The School Feeding Program in Côte d'Ivoire has received significant support from local authorities, including the Sud-Comoé Regional Council, which has allocated 66 million CFA francs to school canteens.
- The program faces challenges, including the scarcity of arable land and the aging of members of groups mobilized around school canteens.
- The government has increased the number of ration days from 33 to 56 in the 2026-2027 academic year, out of a yearly norm of 120 days.
