Eni, PETROCI and AVSI complete rehabilitation works in 20 primary schools in the Municipality of Port-Bouët and in the Sud-Comoé Region in Côte d'Ivoire

San Donato Milanese (Milan), 24 October 2023 – Eni, AVSI Foundation, and PETROCI celebrate today the completion of the rehabilitation works performed in 20 primary public schools located in the Municipality of Port-Bouët and in the Sud-Comoé Region, in Côte d’Ivoire. The ceremony, taking place at the Groupe Scolaire Vridi Canal in Abidjan, was held at the presence of the Minister of National Education and Literacy, Kone Mariatou, the General Manager of Direction Générale des Hydrocarbures, M. Esse, and the Managing Director of Eni Côte d’Ivoire Nicola Mavilla.

The interventions comprised the integral renovation of 8 schools in the Municipality of Port-Bouët including the construction of sport fields, and functional rehabilitations in 12 other schools in the Municipality of Port-Bouët and in the Sud-Comoé Region with new toilets blocks and water points and connection to the electricity grid. Access to water and electricity is now a reality in facilities that previously lacked these essential needs. In addition, all the schools have been equipped with new desks, mobile bookcases, books and computer kits, as well as stationery and hygiene kits based on the schools’ needs.

“Together with AVSI and our partner PETROCI, we are committed to contribute to meeting the country’s growing educational needs, providing full support to the school system through concrete actions such as the access to electricity, water and sanitation, as well as the provision of school equipment and training activities”, said Nicola Mavilla, Managing Director of Eni Côte d’Ivoire.

“By agreeing to invest in this ambitious project to support education, thanks to Eni, AVSI is convinced that education remains an effective lever of structural transformation for children, their families, and their community. That is why AVSI has integrated into the project, community mobilization activities around education with all stakeholders in the educational ecosystem. This enables to strengthen children with other soft skills, useful for their future integration into society”, argued Dr. Bamba Lassine, Country Representative AVSI Côte d'Ivoire.

The initiative’s beneficiaries – 8,500 students, 2,000 parents and around 150 teachers and pedagogy advisors have been engaged in awareness-raising activities, and dedicated trainings activities have been implemented for both teachers and parents.

The project is governed by a three-year agreement signed by Eni and AVSI in September 2022 to support access to quality education in the country and is being implemented in partnership with Côte d'Ivoire’s Ministry of National Education and Alphabetization within its effort to transform the sector. It is in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, as well as with the Ivorian Educational Plan 2017-2025.

Eni is present in Côte d'Ivoire with a wide range of activities: from the production of oil and gas from the Baleine field (the largest ever discovered in the country), to the supply of energy-efficient stoves to local communities, to the upgrading of schools and clinics, as well as the training of managers and technicians in the energy sector.