Côte d’Ivoire and Lithuania have come together to address youth unemployment by promoting aquaponics, an innovative agricultural technique that combines plant cultivation with aquatic or poultry farming in a symbiotic, water-recirculating environment. This sustainable farming method creates a self-sustaining ecosystem, addressing both food security and environmental challenges.
Youth Employment: Lithuanian Delegation Visits Côte d’Ivoire
From October 1 to 11, 2021, a Lithuanian delegation visited Côte d’Ivoire to inaugurate the country’s first educational aquaponics farm, valued at over €46,000. This initiative, a result of cooperation between the two nations, was facilitated by the Ivorian NGO Service for Job—a platform dedicated to youth socio-professional integration—and its Lithuanian partner, the Lithuanian Innovation Center (LIC).
A total of 50 young Ivorians, both agricultural graduates and non-graduates, received training in aquaponics. Among them, 20 were certified as Advanced Aquaponics Technicians (trainers), while 30 were trained as Aquaponics System Operators.
To bring the project to life, the 50 trainees formed a Simplified Cooperative Society named Ivoire Aquaponie (SCOOPS – IVOIRE AQUAPONIE) during a constitutive general assembly held on October 20, 2021. The initiative aligns with the goals of the AGRIPERMA Project (Permanent Agriculture) on the Ivorian side and the ORANGE Project (Creating Innovative Women’s Businesses Using Aquaponics Technology – Innovations for Ivory Coast) on the Lithuanian side. Both projects aim to promote peaceful and inclusive societies by ensuring quality youth integration for all.
A Poverty Alleviation Project with European Support
This poverty reduction initiative, particularly targeting vulnerable groups such as women and youth, received funding from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its development cooperation agency, Lithuanian Development Cooperation. The funding is part of the European Union’s program, Promoting Social and Economic Activity in Countries of Origin and Transit of Migration, which Lithuania participates in.
The program seeks to create sustainable and decent jobs in West Africa through targeted training and entrepreneurial skill-building. It addresses the challenges of economic and social exclusion, marginalization, and structural inequality—key drivers of violence, radicalization, forced displacement, and irregular migration on the continent.
Project Phases and Long-Term Vision
According to Marcel Tibe-Bi, President of Service for Job, the project will enable Côte d’Ivoire to develop and popularize aquaponics as a viable agricultural technique. With support from the Regional Council of Sud-Comoé and the Municipality of Bonoua, which donated an 8,100 m² plot of land valued at 80 million CFA francs, the project will be implemented in three phases:
- Phase 1: Recruitment and training of 20 Advanced Aquaponics Technicians as trainers.
- Phase 2: Recruitment and training of 80 Skilled Aquaponics Workers (System Operators) and the establishment of two cooperative enterprises for the production and marketing of vegetables and fish.
- Phase 3: Construction of an agro-ecotourism complex worth €675,000, featuring:
- A commercial aquaponics farm
- A gastronomic, recreational, and event space
- A supermarket
- A hair salon
- A performance hall
- A multimedia room
- A hotel residence
- A vocational training center named Ecole des Nouvelles Technologies Agricoles de Bonoua (ENTAB).
The project also benefits from the support of the Agence Emploi Jeunes (AEJ), which covers trainee stipends, and the Fonds de Développement de la Formation Professionnelle (FDFP), which funds the training programs.
A Sustainable Solution for the Future
As traditional agriculture struggles to meet global demands due to rapid urbanization, population growth, resource depletion, and climate change, integrated farming systems like aquaponics are emerging as viable alternatives. Classified by the Van Woensel & Archer 2015 report as one of the “ten technologies capable of changing the world,” aquaponics represents a forward-thinking approach to sustainable agriculture.
The initiative by Service for Job and its partners is a commendable step toward addressing youth unemployment, promoting sustainable development, and fostering innovation in agriculture. It is a model worth celebrating and replicating.
