Opening a training centre or private school in Côte d'Ivoire

Updated 29 September 2026

Training OrganizationsRegulation

Côte d'Ivoiretraining centreprivate schoolprivate higher educationFDFP

In Côte d'Ivoire, there is no single authorization: the regime depends on what you open. A private nursery, primary or general secondary school comes under the Ministry of National Education, Literacy and Technical Education (ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Alphabétisation et de l'Enseignement technique). A private technical education or vocational training establishment goes through the Directorate for the Supervision of Private Establishments (Direction de l'encadrement des établissements privés, DEEP) of that sector. A private higher education school or university comes under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS). Each regime has its own annual filing calendar.

Who authorizes what

Project	Authority	Reference text or procedure
Private nursery, primary, lower or upper general secondary school	Ministry of National Education, Literacy and Technical Education, DEEP	DEEP list of documents, National School Map Commission for Private Establishments (CNCSEP)
Private technical or vocational establishment (CAP, BT, BP, technical baccalaureate)	DEEP for technical education and vocational training	Order no. 2016-1677 of 18 November 2016 (opening standards)
Private higher education school or university	MESRS, Directorate of Higher Education (DESUP)	Order no. 361 of 19 June 2007
Continuing training firm funded by employers	Vocational Training Development Fund (Fonds de développement de la formation professionnelle, FDFP), for accreditation	FDFP accreditation procedure

The common framework is Decree no. 97-675 of 3 December 1997, which sets the conditions under which the public education service is conceded to private establishments.

Decree no. 2026-84 of 4 March 2026 assigns "the supervision of private vocational training" to the Minister of Employment, Social Protection and Vocational Training. It assigns "the oversight of private technical and vocational schools" to the Minister of National Education, Literacy and Technical Education. A draft decree on private technical and vocational establishments was being finalized in May 2026. Ask the ministry to confirm which department handles your file and which texts apply.

Private school: creation, then opening

A private school needs two successive authorizations, reviewed each year by the CNCSEP.

Creation authorization (autorisation de création). It covers undeveloped land. A site visit assesses the request against the school map. It does not allow the school to operate and lapses after two years if the land has not been built on.
Opening authorization (autorisation d'ouverture). Requested once the works are complete, it gives the right to operate the school.

The DEEP list of documents (school map 2023-2024) includes:

an application to the minister, with a commitment to comply with the regulations;
the promoter's file: birth certificate, criminal record, certificate of Ivorian nationality, teaching authorization;
a final land concession order (arrêté de concession définitive, ACD) or a long-term emphyteutic lease, and a survey extract from a licensed surveyor;
a plot of at least 500 m² in the Abidjan district and 600 m² elsewhere for primary, 1,100 m² and 1,200 m² for secondary;
for opening: building permit, certificate of compliance, health certificate, plans and cost estimates.

The premises standards are detailed (classroom dimensions, toilets, fence, access ramps). Secondary schools also need two laboratories and a library with at least 15 computers. The 2023-2024 list requires the promoter to be a career teacher or an association of teachers. The forms for the 2026 session also mention a non-teaching promoter associated with a teacher: check this point with the DEEP.

Teachers and the head must obtain an authorization to teach or to manage. The servicepublic.gouv.ci procedure sheet (updated in 2016) gives, for example, the BEPC or the baccalaureate to teach in primary, and the teaching aptitude certificate (certificat d'aptitude pédagogique, CAP) to head a primary school.

Technical or vocational establishment

The DEEP for this sector issues authorizations for creation, opening, extension, management and teaching. It can close an establishment that does not meet the criteria. Applications go through the CNCSEP, whose 2026 session opened in January 2026.

Order no. 2016-1677 of 18 November 2016 sets the opening standards:

a plot of at least 1,200 m² for industrial programs and 900 m² for service-sector programs;
single-storey rows or buildings of up to two upper floors, with two staircases;
administrative offices, including those of the founder and the director of studies, and a staff room;
for three programs: 9 classrooms of 30 to 40 places, 2 computer rooms with 40 workstations, specialized rooms and a multimedia room;
an infirmary, a library, a sports ground or gym, a fence, a canteen and a multipurpose hall.

For trainers, the 2024 framework of the General Inspectorate sets one principle: hold a diploma of a higher level than the one being prepared. Example: a BT in electrical engineering to teach a CAP in electricity.

Private higher education

The MESRS applies a five-step procedure:

filing from 2 January to 31 May (Order no. 361 of 19 June 2007);
review of administrative files in June and July;
inspection of premises and equipment in August;
review by the Interministerial Technical Commission (Commission technique interministérielle, CTI) in September;
signature of the orders by the minister.

Each lecturer obtains a provisional teaching authorization from the DESUP, then a final authorization after pedagogical training.

Setting up the legal entity

The one-stop shop of the Investment Promotion Centre in Côte d'Ivoire (Centre de promotion des investissements en Côte d'Ivoire, CEPICI) receives the company formation file and issues the acknowledgement of registration in the trade and companies register (RCCM). The service is free, apart from administrative fees. For a school run by an association, the DEEP accepts statutes issued by the CEPICI or by a notary.

Funding for continuing training: the FDFP

The FDFP, created in 1991, manages the apprenticeship tax (0.4% of payroll) and the additional continuing vocational training tax (1.2%). It funds companies' training plans and projects. To deliver fundable training, a private firm must be accredited (habilitation). Accreditation checks:

legal existence: RCCM, tax compliance certificate, up-to-date CNPS (social security) certificate, bank details;
physical existence: office and equipped training room, inspected on site;
capacity: qualified trainers, CVs, handwritten commitment letters, references.

Accreditation is granted by the management committee for one year. Public structures are accredited automatically and offshore structures are excluded.

Diplomas and recognition

Technical and vocational examinations are organized by the State. In higher education, MESRS approval is the first condition. For regional recognition, the Diploma Recognition and Equivalence Programme (Programme de reconnaissance et d'équivalence des diplômes, PRED) of CAMES requires national accreditation and at least one graduating cohort.

The steps

Define the project and identify the competent department and calendar.
Set up the legal entity at the CEPICI one-stop shop.
Secure land or premises that meet the standards.
Prepare the creation file, then the opening file.
Obtain the authorizations to manage and to teach.
Prepare for the inspection visit.
Apply for FDFP accreditation if you target funded continuing training.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to be Ivorian to open a private school? For nursery, primary and secondary schools, the 2023-2024 list asks the promoter for a certificate of Ivorian nationality. For the other regimes, the sources consulted do not specify this point: ask the ministry.

Can you rent the premises? For a school, the DEEP requires an ACD or an emphyteutic lease, and the nursery school sheet prohibits ordinary lease or rental contracts. For the other regimes, check with the department in charge.

When should you file? From 2 January to 31 May for higher education. Schools and technical establishments file during the annual CNCSEP session, which opened in January in 2026.

How much does the file cost? The servicepublic.gouv.ci sheets date from 2016. Ask the department in charge for the current fees.

Key takeaways

Three separate regimes: schools, technical and vocational education, higher education.
For a school, the creation authorization is not enough: you also need an opening authorization.
Land and premises standards are quantified and checked on site.
The decree of 4 March 2026 reallocated responsibilities: confirm the competent department.
FDFP accreditation is annual and is a condition for funded continuing training.

Sources

Mentivis supports the structuring of training organizations and schools: design of the offer, business model, regulatory file, launch. See training organization set-up · See higher education

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