Abidjan, the Manhattan of the Tropics and a Regenerating City! #2
“What some of you people have done to your toothbrushes is inexcusable! Yes, that toothbrush that you have had since secondary school days and only thought to change it when your wedding preparations kicked off. Your toothbrushes have suffered for years in silence while you decimated them to non-existence. So I am asking you to be fair to your teeth and buy a new toothbrush. Stop disgracing people around town,” said the salesman who boarded the Sotra bus at Treichville.
The whole bus erupted in laughter. Ivorians have a natural flair for jokes and the only conclusion I could draw was that comedy was embedded in their DNA. Ivorians are merry people. They can make a joke out of anything. This comes across very clearly in their music, speech and how they approach life. Listen carefully when they speak and do not take their words seriously as they tend to not be serious. This salesman had jokes and I could not keep up with all the banter because it was very hot. I focused on the sweat that was quickly drenching my top with many rivulets descending down my spine and my chest. I was out of tissues in a matter of minutes but the stagnant traffic promised a long road ahead.
I had decided to try the public transport service in Abidjan to see more of the city. For a while, I saw the public buses, green and making their way through traffic, with destinations such as Marcory, Adjame, Yopougon, Treichville among others running across the electronic screen at the front of the bus. I decided to get on this one at the heart of Treichville’s commercial district. I got on the bus and the conductors could tell I was not local and asked me where I was headed. I was going to La Grande Mosquée in Plateau and asked if this bus would get me there. They said it would and the fare was 200frs cfa for a single journey. I paid and the driver printed a ticket and handed it to me. The bus was filled to the brim.
Once we moved, a cool breeze washed over us and provided some respite. It was hot and clammy, with Abidjan being so close to the sea equalled humidity. The AC could have saved me from sweating out all the liquids in my body. I soon realised there was no AC on this bus and initially paid no heed to the salesman who was hawking everything from balms that could cure all body aches, to toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste that resolve all dental issues. It reminded me of Cameroon, when I was travelling to secondary school and these salesmen would hop on the bus at Amour Mezam park in Nkwen, Bamenda and chat incessantly till we reached Up Station — the administrative block of the town where they then alighted. They sold magic powder which promised to whiten your teeth, cure toothaches, eliminate plaque and tartar. They later moved from this magic powder to Ginseng — the Chinese all-ailment-curing powder. Any illnesses you can think of, they promised it would cure except for AIDs, thank goodness. It did promise to prevent cancers though, so I could take that.
When in Africa, I always compare every city I visit towns and cities in Cameroon, as that is where I know very well relative to other countries on the continent. I was amazed at all the tarred roads in Abidjan and the fact that bendy buses could run here was indicative of the good road network. They can always be improved but compared to Yaounde and Douala in Cameroon, Abidjan was way ahead. Apparently, in the 1980s, there was a bus company called SOTUC which ferried passengers in Yaounde but the last I saw of them, it was a sea of parked buses rotting away. Everything good about Cameroon always seems to have existed before I was born. My parents always share all these fond memories of what the country was before it started its drastic downhill journey in the mid-1980s.
The buses in Abidjan have their own lanes in certain areas of town, which is a great strategy to help with traffic circulation. But these bendy SOTRA buses will definitely not survive the potholes plaguing most of the roads in Cameroon. Most major city roads that were previously tarred, barely have any tar left. Yes, it is that bad and it cannot be glossed over in the name of patriotism as these roads have been in better condition than what the citizens have to contend with today.
There has to be a special mention of the troi-trois or van-like taxis. In Cameroon, they are called ‘clando’. I noticed that in Abidjan the drivers drove badly and created unnecessary traffic due to their reckless driving. They never give way and this always ends in one of two ways: they either collide with each other or they block themselves and intensify the traffic. This was what happened to us on the bus as the van taxis would not let the bus go up a hill as we approached Adjame. A driver did a u-turn in front of us, whilst another was edging out on the right after dropping off passengers. There was another to our left, who decided just at that moment to get into a space in front of us. Our driver was being safe and minding the gap. Like clockwork, they could not move and the driver on the left, in their haste lurched forward straight into the van taxi edging out from the right. Both drivers got out and started yelling. People are used to this scene and the bus driver switched off the engine in wait. Some people from the busy street came and separated the drivers. They grudgingly decided to park their differences, though not willingly. We could finally move.
Back inside the SOTRA bus, I realised there was a contactless point where those with prepaid tickets could clock-in. I asked the driver if I could take a photo; he, obviously displeased, muttered that “in their country, people were not allowed to take photos willy-nilly.” I informed him it was not intended for commercial use but he was adamant about no photos. He told me to ask for permission when we reached the Adjame Bus Station.
I was getting irate due to the heat and the river of sweat inundating my whole body. Unfortunately, it rained and this slowed traffic immensely. It also made the weather more humid and therefore my disposition could not improve. There was this guy standing next to me in a white shirt, he was completely soiled and the shirt clung to his body like a second skin. He had hopped on the bus all dry and now look at him, he was drowning in the pool of his sweat. When the bus moved, his hold was unsteady and so he kept bumping into me. It was not pleasant having a clammy skin touching my own unbearably and equally sweaty one. I was sensitive to all touch and it seemed all my pores had opened up, as I could feel every touch acutely.
How did people wear make-up in such humidity? I had tried and gave up on day 2 because I either ended up wiping it off in the first 30 minutes of stepping out of my air-conditioned studio or the sweating ensured it ran it off my face. I observed some ladies so put together, not a sweat on their brow and leave their make-up flawless. It definitely must be magic. How else did they do it?
The bus snaked along Pont General De Gaulle into Boulevard de Gaulle. Then to my left, I saw the boarded-up walls protecting the ongoing Cocody Bay Project. The 450 million USD project was launched in 2016 and is a collaboration between Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco, led by MarchicaMed. I cannot wait to see the transformation as everywhere you look, there are ongoing regeneration or construction works going on. There is a video here by Toubabou TV on YouTube showcasing the recent housing development at Riviera Golf, one of 2019’s most ambitious housing projects yet in Abidjan.
Abidjan is home to over 4.7 million people and is the seat of the African Development Bank (AfDB) or in French — Banque Africaine de Développement (BAD). No surprise it is the 3rd largest business tourism destination in Africa. It is a great city and in the time I spent there, I realised that its contrasting nature — the old and new was a signature of its character. Abidjan is divided into 10 communes but is a series of lagunes and islands bridged by numerous bridges. These bridges (in French — Pont) are all named after former presidents of Côte d’Ivoire or of France. There is Pont Henri Konan Bedie, there is Pont Houphouet-Boigny, Pont De Gaulle, and there is even a Pont Soro Guillaume.
The wealthier areas include Billionaires Bay, Dopogo Island, Desiree Island, including parts of Riviera Golf, Cocody among others. Plateau is popular for it houses the business, embassies, industrial and administrative offices and headquarters of most businesses and organisations. Cocody and II Plateaux are mostly residential, extending to Angré after 7éme Tranche. The less salubrious areas are Abobo and Bobo Baoulé where most displaced people from Cocody and Yopougon have found refuge. When the civil unrest broke out in 2011, most people sought refuge in these areas. There are huge generation projects going on at the city centre with premium housing construction. This has led to the poorer people being phased out and this is putting it mildly.
Development especially one linked to real estate is often associated with huge costs. There is the issue of displacement with limited compensation for the poorer citizen. As all the high rise buildings keep moving up towards the sky, changing the skyline of the city, this has also meant that those who stand in the way of development projects or cannot afford to live in the redeveloped areas are forcefully evicted and their homes bulldozed.
The major challenge facing African cities is that most redevelopment projects are in areas which grew organically with little to no town planning. This has led to the usual sights of people being forcefully removed from prime locations to make way for development projects with little or no compensation. In Abidjan, hoards of people were evicted from areas such as Yopougon and Marcory and most of them have resettled in the less salubrious Abobo. Abobo is one of the most populated of the 10 communes in Abidjan, holding 1 million of the 4.7 million of the city’s population.
In a TED Talk titled, ‘Who Belongs in a City?’, OluTimehin Adegbeye — a poverty, gender and rights advocate, ruminated over the forced evictions and demolitions endured by the poor in the city of Lagos. They often pay the ultimate cost for luxury beachside developments. She added:
“Forced evictions are incredibly violent and of course unconstitutional. And yet they happen so often in so many of our cities because the first thing we are taught to forget about poor people is that they are people. We believe that a home is a thing a person absolutely has a right to unless the person is poor and the home is built a certain way, in a certain neighbourhood. But there is no single definition of the word home. After all, what is a slum but an organic response to acute housing deficit and income inequality. And what is a shanty if not a person making a home for themselves against all odds? Slums are an imperfect housing solution. But they are also prime examples of the innovation, adaptability and resilience at the foundation and the heart of every functional city.”
But why are all these problems arising? Since 2000, public waterfront investments has increased in sub-Saharan Africa. Public waterfronts are generally public property and most settlers around the waterfronts are fishermen or poor urbanites. In Abidjan, waterfronts were not included in the planning of the city and had few settlers due to fear of flooding and pollution. During colonial times, these areas were perceived to be dirty, polluted and overcrowded. Colonial city planning created the port and industrial zones on one side of the city, and organically, the other side of the city began to be inhabited by workers. Following independence, many poor urban settlers began building here and the numbers have been growing ever since. In order to reclaim these areas, the Abidjan City government have ironically been using the ‘quarters under risk’ defence to implement evictions. Some would argue, this is a golden opportunity to educate the population on conserving their environment and implementing some climate change risk mitigation.
Abidjan is not alone in facing urban planning problems. It is a continent-wide issue that needs a holistic and innovative approach. It is said that by 2050, most of Africa’s population will be living in its cities and therefore planning, must prepare for the inevitable.
The bus eventually took me to Adjame Station but it was not where I was headed. If I had known this, I would have alighted at Cocody which is closer to Plateau. At Adjame, I was forced to get a taxi which I paid 1000frs for, after bargaining at length with the driver. It had just stopped raining and everything plastic floated out of their hiding places. There is a huge plastic problem in African cities, not just Abidjan. Most gutters were filled with it as they are often open and so attract people using them as a bin. Adjame is a busy district with a market and a more busy bus station servicing the whole city.
Because I did not have the exact money to pay and the driver had no change, we tried to get some change from other drivers when we stopped at traffic lights. We arrived at Grande Mosquée du Plateau, which is the biggest of the 13 grande mosquées in the city, and we had found no one to change 5000frs for us. I decided to go to a pharmacy I spotted ahead to change it. The pharmacy would not give me change if I was not buying. I approached a kind-looking gentleman coming out of the pharmacy and asked him if he could change 5000frs. He asked me how much I owed the driver, and I told him 1000frs. He paid and told me to have a good day. I thanked him and insisted he take my money and give me change but he would not budge. As I watched him walk to his car, a sleek jeep and spotted my saviour’s driver, I realised this was a man who could afford to saunter to his car. He was in no hurry. Why will he be?
Looking for change was my part-time job especially if I was not sure the vendor will return with my change. I took it upon myself to look for change if I had 5000frs or 10,000frs note to break down.
So, when visiting Abidjan, these are some few things you should note about transportation, getting a SIM card, food, banking services and money exchange in general.
Banking Services and Money Exchange
I found it was easier to withdraw money using my bank card than travelling with foreign currency, then trying to exchange it on the black market. Not only is it time-consuming but you lose a lot in exchange, not to mention the security risks involved such as attracting pickpockets. The banks that worked for me in Abidjan were Banque Atlantic and Ecobank. NSIA is a viable option but mostly used this in Benin. I withdrew the money in local currency which saved me from all the money exchange hassles. I got charged by my bank for the service but I preferred that as it helped with not carrying money around.
There seems to be a change crisis in most Francophone African countries. Not only did I encounter this problem in Côte d’Ivoire but it was the same in Mali, Togo and Benin. The whole time I was in Abidjan, I never saw a 50frs coin. Most times, you will be given the value of the money in goods or you are expected to just forfeit it. Always try to not part too easily with your coins or notes of a lesser denomination. I hear that most people who hawk water around the city buy all the coins and sell them for a commission. I will address this in another blog, see photo below.
Transportation
There are various modes of travel within Abidjan itself. You have the red taxi, the yellow taxi, the grey ‘Sept Places’ and the SOTRA city buses. The red taxis are more expensive with fares ranging from 1000frs CFA (pronounced sayfah) up to 5000frs depending on distance travelled, period (peak or off-peak) and traffic. The red taxi is metred and only does a drop per person, meaning you will have the taxi to yourself for the entirety of the journey. It is a safer option and explains why it is expensive.
With regards to the yellow taxi, you will need to be vigilant with this one because it only follows a straight route and never drops you at your exact stop. It is the cheapest of all the transport systems I took. It costs between 100frs to 500frs on average. It will pick you up if it is going towards your direction and drop you somewhere around the area you are going to along its route, if that makes sense. With this, you will need to know the areas well. What worked for me was using GPS and I was grateful all the locations in Abidjan are geo-tagged so you can find your way fairly easily. Be sure to purchase some internet bundle from your network service provider to ensure you have internet.
The ‘Sept Places’ (a taxi that sits 7 people including the driver) is located at strategic locations in the city centre and only picks up for final destinations to other residential areas around the city. I took a ‘7 Places’ from a street behind the Grande Mosquée du Plateau for 7éme Tranche/Angré. I paid 700frs which would have cost me between 2000frs — 2500 frs with a red taxi.
For those who live on the islands and Grand Bassam, they take the boats and taxi de brousse respectively to get into Gare de Sud and Treichville. From here, they continue their journey to work by walking, taking a taxi or public transport such as the SOTRA bus.
There are the van taxis that take people to destinations further out such as Grand Bassam which is less than 30 minutes outside of Abidjan without traffic but with traffic, you could be looking at over an hour.
Getting a SIM card
There are four strong players on the Ivorian mobile market. They include Orange, MTN, Moov and YooMee. Orange has the lion’s share of the market at 42% of the subscribers. opted for an Orange SIM, perhaps the Didier Drogba poster was playing in my subconscious. It cost 1000frs for the SIM and I topped up for 2500frs, 1500frs of which was used to buy a one-week internet bundle. Out here, there are so many codes to run and apply to get good deals that address your needs. So no two people actually get the same price plan. It is so customizable. See here on the various offers by each network.
People generally use phones with duo-sim cards and therefore it is normal for people to have two numbers or more. This allows them to take the opportunity of offers from different networks or switch from one network to another, should coverage be poor for either in some areas.
Food
There are restaurants everywhere catering to all food palettes. Though in Plateau it is more difficult to locate one so your best bet is to go into a hotel’s restaurant. But this option is not a cheap one.
Otherwise, you can find food joints serving shawarma, pizza, grilled chicken and fries, pasta and stir-fries.
Boulangeries and patisseries (bakeries) have great sandwich options which you can have with coffee, tea, any hot drink of choice or juices if you prefer a cold drink option. Boulangeries were my favourite stops These bakeries offer freshly baked bread, cakes, yoghurts and drinks. I stumbled across a yoghurt drink with millet grains and loved it to bits. It was so filling and tasted like Activia with wheat but on steroids. Millet is grown in most northern parts of West, Central and Sahel African countries.
To eat local food, ask a local to point you to a good eatery. See you in two days for the next blog in this #travel series.
No.1: I set out to travel 5 West African countries by road.
#WestAfricaTravelBlogSeries
