According to the latest data provided by the International Labor Organization, the unemployment rate in Cote d’Ivoire is the highest among people under 35. They represent 77% of the country’s population. These numbers can be explained by the lack of access to financing, lack of support in entrepreneurial endeavours and the lack of training and mentorship.

As an answer to these issues and as a response to the country’s National Development Plan: making culture and employability for young people key aspects of Côte d’Ivoire’s growth, Birimian and Orange Bank Africa have collaborated once more to create the Fin Culture Counter.

With a total budget of 1 billion FCFA (1,5 million euros) allotted by the Ministry in charge of promoting Youth and Youth Employment, the Fin Culture Counter wants to finance 100 projects through loans between 1 and 20 million FCFA.

In partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Francophonie and the Ministry in charge of promoting Youth and Youth Employment, Birimian will select the candidates and ensure the financial structuration of the projects. They will be financed by Orange Bank Africa.

The entrepreneurs and companies financed through the counter will benefit from training and capacity building coordinated by Birimian. The Fin Culture Counter is a financial innovation. It is the first public and private partnership dedicated to creative endeavours in Cote d’Ivoire. It reinforces the country’s positioning as a cultural and financial hub.

The signing of the convention on the creation of the Fin Culture Counter happened under the Patronage of His Excellency M. Robert Beugré Mambé, Prime Minister and Head of Government, under the Co-Presidency of His Excellency M. Adama Bictogo, Speaker of the National Assembly and Her Excellency Kandia Kamissoko Camara, President of the Senate and under the sponsorship of M. Mamadou Touré, Minister of the promotion of youth, employability and Civic Service, with the presence of Mrs Françoise Remarck, Miniter of Culture and Francophonie.

“We are delighted and honored to sign this 4-party convention. It is the first public-private partnership that puts culture and creativity forth as economic driving forces through access to financing, capacity building and employability catered to Ivorian young creatives. This initiative is a step forward in making Abidjan the definitive cultural and creative hub in West Africa” said Laureen-Kouassi-Olsson, CEO of Birimian Holding.

The first operational investment company dedicated to luxury and premium brands inspired by African. heritage, Birimian supports creative designers and labels in their long-term growth and international development. Birimian’s main objective is to accelerate the emergence of African designers and the diaspora on the international scene by positioning itself as their major partner in the growth sectors of African creative exceptionalism: fashion, beauty, cosmetics, jewelry, and the arts of living.

Birimian focuses on brands that embody the continent’s culture, tradition, history, and cultural heritage; in their diversity, DNA and identity, brands that adapt to modern and contemporary codes.
Birimian’s approach is based on capacity building, institutionalization of creators and access to financing.

Birimian has created a unique acceleration program in collaboration with the Institut Français de la Mode, as well as an innovative financing program for designers in Côte d’Ivoire, in partnership with Orange Bank Africa.

www.birimianventures.com

Orange, a major telecoms player in Africa and the Middle East, and NSIA, a leader in bancassurance, have together created Orange Bank Africa. Headed by Jean-Louis Menann-Kouamé, OBA’s ambition is to offer customers with an Orange Money electronic wallet a simple offer of instant credit and interest-bearing savings, accessible at any time from their mobile.
Orange’s mobile financial services strategy in Africa aims to offer solutions that are accessible to as many people as possible, whatever their income level or location. Orange Bank Africa’s objective is to
become the benchmark for financial inclusion in West Africa.

www.orangebank.ci

Jessica Ngon Kemoum
jessica.ngonkemoum@birimianholding.com

Khadija Komara; khadija.komara@orange.com; +33 6 76 45 96 18
Ibtissame Nafii; ibtissame.nafii@orange.com; +33 6 37 38 60 50