Latest news with #FelixHouphouet-Boigny
Malay Mail
01-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Less French, more African: Ivory Coast modernises street names to reflect cultural identity
ABIDJAN, May 1 — Street names in Ivory Coast's economic capital have taken on a decidedly more local flavour over the past few weeks, as African names have replaced French ones in France's former colony. The road linking the airport to Abidjan's city centre, for example, is no longer named after former French president Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, but for the man who led Ivory Coast following its independence from France in 1960, Felix Houphouet-Boigny. The old names 'weren't necessarily used by our people,' Alphonse N'Guessan, the urban planning official in charge of the project, told AFP. A name 'must reflect our history, our culture', he said. France once had a sizeable colonial presence in Africa and several of its former colonies in west Africa have sought to distance themselves from Paris. But while countries like Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have turned their backs on ties with France following juntas coming to power there, Ivory Coast, which was under French rule from 1893 to 1960, remains a regional ally of its former ruler. It simply 'decided to modernise its system' for street names, N'Guessan said. The operation, costing US$17 million (RM73 million) and financed with help from the World Bank, is aimed at bringing 'our traffic and location systems up to international standards', he said. While the process of renaming streets in Abidjan began in 2021, it is only since March that signs with the new names have actually gone up in the city. Some 15 other towns and cities in the country will also have street names changed, with the nationwide process expected to be completed by 2030. Workers mount the news signs of Georges Amalan street in Abidjan on April 16, 2025. — AFP pic 'Who is who' The new names acknowledge Ivorian politicians, scientists, artists, athletes or concepts, and are chosen in consultation with civil society groups or local traditional chiefs, N'Guessan said. So Abidjan's Marseille Boulevard, named after the southern French port city, is now Philippe Yace Boulevard, in a salute to the parliament's first speaker. And Boulevard de France is now named after the country's first First Lady, Marie-Therese Houphouet-Boigny. 'It is important for Africans to identify with the city's development,' especially with a 'population that is becoming increasingly young', said Wayiribe Ismail Ouattara, an urban planner. A young person walking past a street named after a colonial governor 'will not have the same feeling as for someone who lived through colonisation', he said. Some 75 per cent of Ivory Coast's population is under 35. The move has been widely embraced by Abidjan residents. 'The names of the streets in Ivory Coast should belong to Ivorian revolutionaries, Ivorian politicians' so that 'in the future, we can explain to our children who is who', said Franck Herve Mansou, a 31-year-old company technician. Jean Bruce Gneple, a salesman, agreed. 'President Felix Houphouet-Boigny was and will remain in the memory of all Ivorians as the first man of Ivory Coast, so this is a tribute to him, and we are also proud of it,' he said. — AFP A general view of the new signs of Felix Houphouet-Boigny boulevard in Abidjan on April 16, 2025. — AFP pic
France 24
01-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
No more Boulevard de France: Ivory Coast's colonial street names get a rebrand
Street names in Ivory Coast 's economic capital have taken on a decidedly more local flavour over the past few weeks, as African names have replaced French ones in France 's former colony. The road linking the airport to Abidjan's city centre, for example, is no longer named after former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, but for the man who led Ivory Coast following its independence from France in 1960, Felix Houphouet-Boigny. The old names "weren't necessarily used by our people", Alphonse N'Guessan, the urban planning official in charge of the project, told AFP. A name "must reflect our history, our culture", he said. France once had a sizeable colonial presence in Africa and several of its former colonies in west Africa have sought to distance themselves from Paris. But while countries like Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have turned their backs on ties with France following juntas coming to power there, Ivory Coast, which was under French rule from 1893 to 1960, remains a regional ally of its former ruler. It simply "decided to modernise its system" for street names, N'Guessan said. The operation, costing $17 million and financed with help from the World Bank, is aimed at bringing "our traffic and location systems up to international standards", he said. While the process of renaming streets in Abidjan began in 2021, it is only since March that signs with the new names have actually gone up in the city. Some 15 other towns and cities in the country will also have street names changed, with the nationwide process expected to be completed by 2030. 'Who is who' The new names acknowledge Ivorian politicians, scientists, artists, athletes or concepts, and are chosen in consultation with civil society groups or local traditional chiefs, N'Guessan said. So Abidjan's Marseille Boulevard, named after the southern French port city, is now Philippe Yace Boulevard, in a salute to the parliament's first speaker. And Boulevard de France is now named after the country's first First Lady, Marie-Thérèse Houphouet-Boigny. "It is important for Africans to identify with the city's development," especially with a "population that is becoming increasingly young", said Wayiribe Ismail Ouattara, an urban planner. A young person walking past a street named after a colonial governor "will not have the same feeling as for someone who lived through colonisation", he said. Some 75 percent of Ivory Coast's population is under 35. The move has been widely embraced by Abidjan residents. "The names of the streets in Ivory Coast should belong to Ivorian revolutionaries, Ivorian politicians" so that "in the future, we can explain to our children who is who", said Franck Herve Mansou, a 31-year-old company technician. Jean Bruce Gneple, a salesman, agreed. "President Felix Houphouet-Boigny was and will remain in the memory of all Ivorians as the first man of Ivory Coast, so this is a tribute to him, and we are also proud of it," he said.
CAF
08-02-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Every TotalEnergies CAF AFCON stadium used
Morocco's announcement of nine venues for the hosting of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations final in December will add significantly to the number of stadia used in the history of the finals. There have been 18 countries who have hosted a Cup of Nations from the first tournament in Sudan in 1957 to the last edition in Cote d'Ivoire, with a total of 83 different stadiums used for Cup of Nations finals matches. That will be increased to 89 once the tournament in Morocco kicks off. The Complexe Sportive Prince Moulay Abdellah hosts the opening match and final and another five games. The Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca was the venue for the final in 1988 when Morocco previously hosted the tournament and it will be the venue for eight matches in the 2025 edition. There will also be eight games at the Grande Stade d'Agadir and the Grande Stade d'Marrakech. The Cairo International Stadium has hosted a total of 35 matches over four editions, including four finals, and holds the record for the most number of games in the history of the tournament. It is followed by the Accra Sports Stadium with 32 games, the Baba Yaro Stadium in Kumasi with 26, the Addis Ababa Stadium with 25 and the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo with 21. Dakar's Stade de l'Amitie hosted 14 matches during the 1992 finals in Senegal, which is the most number of matches at a single stadium in one tournament. The Khartoum Municipal Stadium hosted the first ever Cup of Nations finals matches. Nine stadiums for a single edition of the Cup of Nations finals is a new record, surpassing the six that Mali used for their hosting of the 2002 finals when there were 16 teams and 32 matches. TOTALENERGIES CAF AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS FINALS STADIUMS Algeria Algiers Stade du 5 Julliet (9): 1990 x 9 Annaba Stade du 19 Mai (7): 1990 x 7 Angola Benguela Estadio Nacional de Ombaka (9): 2010 x 9Cabinda Estadio Nacional do Chiazi (4): 2010 x 4Luanda Estadio 11 de Novembre (9): 2010 x 9 Lubango Estadio Nacional da Tundavala (7): 2010 x 7 Burkina Faso Bobo Dioulasso Stade Municipal (10): 1998 x 10Ouagadougou Stade du 4 Aout (9): 1998 x 9 Ouagadougou Stade Municipal (13): 1998 x 13 Cameroon Bafoussam Stade Kouekong (8): 2021 x 8Douala Stade de la Reunification (7): 1972 x 7Douala Stade Japoma (8): 2021 x 8Garoua Stade Roumde Adjia (8): 2021 x 8Limbe Omnisport Stadium (8): 2021 x 8Yaounde Stade Olembe (8): 2021 x 8 Yaounde Stade Omnisport (21): 1972 x 9; 2021 x 12 (name changed to Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo) Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Stade Alassane Ouattara (10): 2023 x 10Abidjan Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny (19): 1984 x 9; 2023 x 10Bouake Stade Bouake (16): 1984 x 7; 2023 x 9 (name changed to Stade de la Paix)Korhogo Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly (7): 2023 x 7San Pedro Stade Laurent Pokou (8): 2023 x 8 Yamoussoukro Stade Charles Konan Banny (8): 2023 x 8 Egypt Alexandria Stadium (19): 1974 x 4; 1986 x 7; 2006 x 1; 2019 x 7Alexandra Haras Al Hodoud Stadium (7): 2006 x 7Cairo Al Salam Stadium (10): 2019 x 10Cairo International Stadium (35): 1974 x 7; 1986 x 9; 2006 x 9; 2019 x 10Cairo 30 June Stadium (10): 2019 x 10Cairo Military Academy Stadium (8): 2006 x 8Cairo Prince Farouk Stadium (3): 1959 x 3Damanhur Ala'ab Damanhour Stadium (3): 1974 x 3El Mahalla Stadium (3): 1974 x 3Ismailia Stadium (8): 2006 x 1; 2019 x 7Port Said Stadium (6): 2006 x 6 Suez Stadium (8): 2019 x 8 Equatorial Guinea Bata Estadio de Bata (18): 2012 x 8: 2015 x 10Ebibeyin Estadio de Ebibeyin (6): 2015 x 6Malabo Estadio de Malabo (18): 2012 x 8: 2015 x 10 Mongomo Estadio de Mongomo (6): 2015 x 6 Ethiopia Addis Ababa Haile Selaisse Stadium (25): 1962 x 4; 1968 x 9; 1976 x 12 (name changed to Addis Ababa Stadium)Asmara Cicero Stadium (7): 1968 x 7 Dire Dawa Stadium (6): 1976 x 6 Gabon Franceville Stade de Franceville (15): 2012 x 7; 2017 x 8Libreville Stade d'Angondje (18): 2012 x 9; 2017 x 9 (name changed to Stade de l'Amitie)Oyen Stade de Oyem (7): 2017 x 7 Port Gentil Stade de Port Gentil (8): 2017 x 8 Ghana Accra Sports Stadium (32): 1963 x 5; 1978 x 9; 2000 x 9; 2008 x 9 (name changed to Ohene Djan Stadium)Kumasi Sports Stadium (26): 1963 x 3; 1978 x 7; 2000 x 7 (name changed to Baba Yaro Stadium); 2008 x 9Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium (7): 2008 x 7 Tamale Stadium (7): 2008 x 7 Libya Benghazi 28 March Stadium (7): 1982 x 7 Tripoli 11 June Stadium (9): 1982 x 9 Mali Bamako Stade du 26 Mars (8): 2002 x 8Bamako Stade Modibo Keita (7): 2002 x 7Kayes Stade Abdoulaye Makoro Cissoko (3): 2002 x 3Mopti Stade Barema Bocoum (3): 2002 x 3Segou Stade Amary Daou (5): 2002 x 5 Sikasso Stade Babemba Traore (6): 2002 x 6 Morocco Casablanca Stade Mohamed V (9): 1988 x 9 Rabat Stade Moulay Abdellah (7): 1988 x 7 Nigeria Ibadan Liberty Stadium (7): 1980 x 7Kano Sani Abacha Stadium (7): 2000 x 7 Lagos Surelere Stadium (18): 1980 x 9; 2000 x 9 (name changed to National Stadium) Senegal Dakar Stade de l'Amitie (14): 1992 x 14 Ziguinchor Stade Aline Sitoe Diatta (6): 1992 x 6 Sudan Khartoum Municipal Stadium (12): 1957 x 2; 1970 x 10 Wadi Madani Stadium (6): 1970 x 6 South Africa Johannesburg Soccer City (13): 1996 x 10; 2013 x 3Bloemfontein Free State Stadium (7): 1996 x 7Durban King's Park Rugby Stadium (5): 1996 x 5Durban Moses Mabhida Stadium (6): 2013 x 6Nelspruit Mbombela Stadium (8): 2013 x 8Phokeng Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace (7): 2013 x 7Port Elizabeth Boet Erasmus Stadium (7): 1996 x 7 Port Elizabeth Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (8): 2013 x 8 Tunisia Bizerte Stade Ahmed Bsiri (1): 1965 x 1Bizerte Stade du Octobre 15 (5): 2004 x 5Monastir Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet (5): 2004 x 5Sfax Stade Taieb Mhiri (7): 1965 x 1; 2004 x 6Sousse Stade Bou Ali Lahoaur (1): 1965 x 1Sousse Stade Olympique (13): 1994 x 8; 2004 x 5Tunis Stade El Menzah (16): 1994 x 11; 2004 x 5Tunis Stade Chedly Zouiten (6): 1965 x 5; 1994 x 1 Tunis Stade du Novembre 7 (6): 2004 x 6
