COTE d’Ivoire is phasing out street names linked to its colonial past in favour of Ivorian icons, in a $17 million renaming project backed by the World Bank. The effort, now visibly underway in Abidjan, marks a bold move to reclaim national identity while modernising the country’s urban grid.
Formerly known for roads bearing names of French leaders and cities, the Ivorian economic capital is undergoing a symbolic transformation. The once-prominent Boulevard Valéry Giscard d’Estaing—named after the late French president—is now Felix Houphouët-Boigny Boulevard, honouring the country’s first post-independence leader.
‘The old names weren’t necessarily used by our people,’ said Alphonse N’Guessan, the urban planning official in charge of the programme, in an interview with AFP. ‘We simply decided to modernise the system,’ he added, noting that the renaming also aims to improve address clarity and navigation standards in line with international norms.
The initiative, launched in 2021, only began manifesting visibly in March 2025 when new signage appeared across Abidjan. The plan extends to 15 other cities nationwide and is scheduled for completion by 2030.
While nearby nations such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have broken away sharply from French ties under military rule, Côte d’Ivoire—France’s former colony from 1893 to 1960—remains a key regional partner. Authorities insist the renaming campaign is not political, but cultural.
‘It’s important for Africans to identify with the development of their cities,’ said Ivorian urban planner Wayiribe Ismail Ouattara. ‘Young people walking past a street named after a colonial governor won’t feel the same connection as they would seeing a name they know from their own heritage.’
With more than 75 percent of the population under age 35, the move reflects a generational shift in how history and identity are experienced.
Names now being adopted reflect Ivorian political pioneers, scientists, athletes, artists, and respected civic leaders. Marseille Boulevard has become Philippe Yacé Boulevard, named after the country’s first parliamentary speaker. Boulevard de France now bears the name of Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire’s first First Lady.
The new names are selected in consultation with civil society groups and local traditional authorities, ensuring grassroots legitimacy.
In Abidjan, the public has largely embraced the change. ‘Street names should belong to Ivorian revolutionaries and politicians so we can explain to our children who they are,’ said 31-year-old technician Franck Herve Mansou.
For Jean Bruce Gneple, a local salesman, the change is both emotional and necessary. ‘President Félix Houphouët-Boigny was and will remain in the memory of all Ivorians as the first man of Côte d’Ivoire. This is a tribute to him—and we are proud of it,’ he told AFP. ‘A name must reflect our history, our culture.’
While some see the renaming as part of a regional trend to reclaim sovereignty from former colonial powers, Côte d’Ivoire’s initiative appears more focused on identity-building than diplomatic signalling. Still, in a region where names carry historic weight, the decision to rename public spaces is being watched closely.
As more signs go up, Côte d’Ivoire is not just changing names—it is telling a new story about who it is, and who it chooses to remember.
