Finding housing, commuting, accessing essential services, and living in a healthy environment. As African cities grow, reconciling these needs becomes a major challenge for public authorities and construction professionals.
In Ivory Coast, where the urbanization rate exceeds 52%, according to data presented by the Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Living Environment, the question of the quality of urban spaces is becoming essential beyond just the pace of construction. It is around these issues that the 11th edition of the Architecture and Building Fair (ARCHIBAT) is being prepared, officially launched this 22 October, in Abidjan.
Scheduled from 14 to 18 October 2027 at the Abidjan Exhibition Center, this biennial event will also mark the 20 years of the fair, created in 2007. Placed under the theme 'Liveable cities, innovative cities, architecture of tomorrow', this 11th edition intends to bring out solutions in the face of urban growth, which accentuates the needs for housing, infrastructure, and public services.
For Professor Nassa Dabié Axel Désiré, chairman of the scientific committee, the challenge is to know 'how to build African cities that are simultaneously liveable, innovative, and resilient', in a context marked by demographic changes and environmental constraints. See also- Opening of ARCHIBAT 2023 : 150 companies exhibiting for 30 000 visitors.
To meet these concerns, the organizers are planning an exhibition of more than 16 000 m², with the maintenance of the four historic pavilions dedicated to the different stages of construction and development: 'Build', 'Finish', 'Develop', and 'Inhabit/Decorate'. The program will also integrate an AGORA space dedicated to workshops and product presentations, an outdoor space devoted to machinery and construction site equipment, as well as a patio focused on the green city, social housing, urban mobility, and the building materials of tomorrow.
A Turkish pavilion of 1 500 m² bringing together about fifty exhibitors is also announced. International conferences, technical workshops, business-to-business meetings, and competitions will complete this programming.
'ARCHIBAT 2027 will not only be a showcase of ideas, but a concrete, living, and immersive experience', declared the General Commissioner, Ismaël Boga-N'Guessan, also CEO of Axes Marketing, while presenting the ambitions of this anniversary edition. Beyond the presentation of innovations, the fair intends to foster exchanges between architects, companies, investors, institutions, and other professionals in the built environment.
Business-to-business meetings are intended in particular to enable the forging of partnerships and the emergence of business opportunities. Reflections will focus on three axes: the improvement of comfort and quality of life in the city, the contribution of technologies and digital tools to construction, as well as new architectural approaches related to sustainability and training.
See also- Ivory Coast: ARCHIBAT, the architecture and building fair, opens its doors in December. This orientation responds to a transformation that concerns the entire continent.
According to United Nations projections cited by the scientific committee, the African urban population could exceed 60% of the total population in 2050, compared to more than 40% in 2020. A development that reinforces the need to design neighborhoods integrating housing, collective facilities, green spaces, and mobility solutions, rather than multiplying constructions without an overall vision.
For Ivorian public authorities, these issues join the efforts made in terms of housing and urban planning. Representing the Minister of Urban Planning, Housing and Living Environment, Moussa Sanogo, technical advisor Martial Goris mentioned the emergency program for the construction of 25 000 social and economic housing units, for which the foundation stones were laid in Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, and Bouaké.
He also highlighted the initiatives aimed at modernizing urban planning tools and digitalizing land management, notably through the Integrated Urban Land Management System (SIGFU). 'The cities of tomorrow must be thought out before being built', he insisted.
Through this 11th edition, ARCHIBAT thus intends to contribute to bringing urban development ambitions closer to the daily needs of populations, as the pressure on housing, land, and infrastructure continues to redefine the priorities of African cities. Fanuelle YAO Published on 23/10/26 12:02 The Editorial Staff