The Tonkpi Region is located in the mountainous western part of Côte d’Ivoire and is subdivided into five (05) departments: Man (regional capital), Zouan-Hounien, Biankouma, Sipilou, and Danané. It covers an area of 12,284 km², representing 3.81% of the national territory.
| ENTITY | POPULATION | HOUSEHOLDS | ||||
MEN | WOMEN | TOTAL | SEX RATIO | NUMBER | AVERAGE SIZE | |
| Tonkpi Region | 740936 | 646973 | 1387909 | 115 | 268651 | 5,2 |
| Department of MAN | 245091 | 216044 | 461135 | 113 | 91696 | 5,0 |
| MAN (Capital)) | 127234 | 114735 | 241969 | 111 | 49052 | 4,9 |
Source: INS (ANStat), RGPH 2021
Projected total population of Tonkpi in 2025: 1,544,462 inhabitants, including 805,355 men and 739,108 women (ANStat, 2025).
Man, the regional capital, is considered a Main Economic Connector (a large city at an advanced stage of urbanization, enabling economies of agglomeration thanks to a diversified economic base that fosters innovation). Due to its mountainous landscape and natural resources, it is also a major tourist destination (Study on the Development Program of Competitive Economic Poles – PEC, 2018). The area is rich in timber and has a subsoil rich in minerals. The geographical position of the city of Man (570 km from Abidjan, 327 km from Yamoussoukro, 380 km from Monrovia/Liberia, and 715 km from Conakry/Guinea) is a strategic advantage given its potential for trade with neighboring countries.
Industrial Zone: There is one existing industrial zone in the department of Man, which hosts industrial units and has a 72-hectare industrial land reserve (MCIPPME, 2022).
Primary and Secondary Education
In 2023/2024, in the Tonkpi Region:
Primary Education
The student-to-classroom ratio in primary schools is 47, compared to the national standard of 45 students per classroom.
Key Indicators of PRIMARY Education 2023 – 2024
| Number of Schools | Student/Classroom Ratio | Gross Admission Rate (GAR, %) | Gross Enrollment Rate (GER, %) |
1055 | 47 | 111,41 | 98,10 |
Source : MENA, 2024
- An industrial zone exists: located in the department of Man, housing industrial units with an industrial land reserve of 72 hectares (MCIPPME, 2022);
- Mobile network coverage (ARTCI, July 2023): 89.07% of localities and 90.66% of the population are covered.
- Health: The health infrastructure in the region includes essential technical platforms.
| Health Infrastructure | Number |
| Primary Contact Health Establishments (ESPC) | 166 |
| General Hospitals | 04 |
| Regional Hospital Centers | 01 |
| Private Profit-Making Health Establishments | 07 |
| Functional Operating Theaters | 03 |
| Functional Gynecological-Obstetric Operating Rooms | 02 |
| Functional Public Radiology Services | 02 |
| Functional Private Radiology Services | 01 |
| Public Dental Offices | 04 |
| Private Dental Offices | 01 |
| Public Pharmacies | 16 |
| Private Pharmacies | 15 |
Source: MSHPCMU, 2022
The key economic sectors include agriculture and agro-industry, animal resources, mining and timber industry, and tourism.
- Mining Sector: Gold (Ity gold mine), Iron, and Nickel (Sipilou);
- Agriculture:
| Type of Crop | Crop | Production (in tons) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||
| Cash Crops | Rubber | 31 960 | 42 192 | 42 554 |
| Oil Palm | 12 674 | 11 415 | 12 939 | |
| Cocoa | 142 361 | 179 795 | 162 352 | |
| Coffee | 14 231 | 18 851 | 17 877 | |
| Food Crops | Plantain Banana | 50 106 | 52 048 | 100 070 |
| Cassava | 452 586 | 488 622 | 638 910 | |
| Yam | 15 643 | 16 047 | 14 873 | |
| Maize | 5 134 | 5 403 | 35 008 | |
| Rice | 80 204 | 47 656 | 53 329 | |
| Taro | 7 966 | 8 204 | ND | |
| Groundnut | 1 088 | 1 132 | 590 | |
| Sweet Potato | 593 | 610 | ND | |
| Vegetable Crops | Eggplant | 14 567 | 14 914 | 3 259 |
| Okra | 26 945 | 27 763 | 4 852 | |
| Tomato | 2 129 | 2 194 | 2 213 | |
Source: MEMINADERPV, 2023 ND: Not Available
Animal Resources:
| Type of Livestock | Species | Livestock (in number of heads) |
|---|---|---|
2022 | ||
| Poultry | Broilers | 2 588 088 |
| Layers | 161 639 | |
| Traditional Chickens | 46 226 | |
| Ruminants | Cattle | 24 601 |
| Sheep | 30 886 | |
| Goats | 23 187 | |
| Pigs | Traditional Pig | 8 815 |
| Modern pig |
Source: MIRAH, estimate 2022
Tourism: The tourist offerings of the region include:
- The liana bridge of Lieupleu;
- The natural waterfalls of Gbepleu;
- The mountain ranges (teeth of Man);
- The monkeys of the sacred forest of Gbepleu;
- The caves of Biankouma;
- The sacred spring of Dompleu.
As part of the implementation of the National Development Plan (PND) 2021-2025, the Tonkpi Region is included in the area covered by the Agro-pole of the granary of food products and the coffee-terroir enhancement zone of Man (Agro-pole 9).
Investment opportunities exist in the following sectors:
Tourism Sector: invest in the construction of hotel complexes and ecotourism;
Mining Resources: The region has a rich mining potential with deposits of Cobalt, Nickel, Gold, Iron, Silver, Platinum, Copper, Chrome, and Diamonds.
Certain priority projects and actions have been selected in the PND 2021-2025 for the Tonkpi Region, including:
NB | Project or Action Description | Planning Document | Estimated Cost (FCFA) | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
01 | Exploitation of iron mines in Gao to Man | PND 2021 -2025 | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize |
02 | Exploitation of lateritic nickel mines in Sipilou | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
03 | Exploitation of gold mines in Zouan-Hounien | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
04 | Exploitation of Copper-Nickel mines in Biankouma | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
05 | Construction of the Man-San-Pedro railway | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
06 | Construction of a wholesale market and collection and grouping centers | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
07 | Project for the supply of drinking water to five (05) departmental capitals in the Tonkpi region | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
08 | Development of an industrial zone: an industrial land reserve of 72 ha | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
09 | Electrification of remaining localities: 206 localities to be electrified in the Autonomous District of the Mountains, which includes the Tonkpi Region | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
10 | Construction and strengthening of roads: heavy reshaping (448 km), light reshaping (2,710 km), and structures (41) | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
11 | Construction of social and economic housing | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
12 | Land development program for the production of housing and serviced land accessible to all | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize | |
13 | Implementation of the Competitive Economic Pole (PEC) program in Man (Main Economic Connector) | Not specified | Business opportunity to seize |
Source: MEPD, 2024 / PS-Gouv2