Like any good provincial, Bruno Nabagné Koné first dreamed of Abidjan while looking at postcards. He went there for the first time at the age of 17, to spend holidays with his parents. Born on September 6, 1960 in Kouto, in the north of the country, a few weeks after independence, Bruno Nabagné Koné saw everything about his country before discovering the capital: “My father was a soldier, we stopped traveling from barracks to barracks: Bouaké, Korhogo, Sassandra, Daloa, Bouaflé, Dimbokro, etc. For me, Abidjan was a childhood dream, a big city with towers like you saw in American movies. The first time I visited this city was on foot, to see everything, down to the smallest detail, the neighborhoods of Treichville, Adjamé… see the sea in Port-Bouët, but discover the Plateau. »
From the Senufo culture, he maintains a connection to Kouto and its region, embodied by his maternal grandmother, with whom he has been very close since his mother's premature death. As a child, the student fell in love with French literature and dreamed of becoming a doctor or architect. When his studies allow him, he loves playing basketball, a passion that will never leave him: today he is honorary president of the Ivorian Basketball Federation. Bruno Koné did all his schooling in Catholic establishments, namely at the famous Saint Viateur de Bouaké school, where he obtained his scientific bachelor's degree.
Steps in the success
After attending Abidjan Business School (Esca) and HEC-Paris in Jouy-en-Josas, Bruno Koné began his career at Arthur Andersen (1985-88), now Andersen Consulting. There he met his future boss, Patrick Achi, head of mission, who noted in passing the human and professional qualities of this young social liberal, future ouattarian activist. Bruno Koné climbed one of the rungs of success in Abidjan, taking on various financial director positions at Chanic (1988-1991), Sifcom (1998-2001), before being recruited in 2003 by Côte d'Ivoire Telecom, a historic operator in the country . . He became its general director two years later, before joining the management of the France Télécom-Orange group in Paris in 2008, where he successively held the positions of director of financial audit and director of regulatory and institutional affairs for the AMEA zone. (Africa Middle East Asia).
His exile in Paris was short-lived. In 2011, a certain Amadou Gon Coulibaly, then secretary general of the Presidency of the Republic, called him begging him to return to Abidjan as soon as possible. Respecting the professional commitments of the time, he hesitated, missed his first flight, then left for the unknown and learned, during a stopover, that he had ended up being appointed Minister of Posts and Communication Technologies. Upon hearing the news in his email, Bruno Koné closes his eyes and sees himself as a child, playing the trumpet in the college band for the arrival of President Houphouët-Boigny. Quite a destination. The following day, after the first meetings with President Alassane Ouattara and the then Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, he was appointed government spokesman.
A great speaker, but despite everything discreet and loyal to his field, Bruno Koné is slowly rising in the Ouattara galaxy. He also has another trump card, and no less important: Masséré Touré-Koné, his wife, is also… the president's niece. After starting his career with the Jeune Afrique group, he returned home to join his uncle's team in the 2010 presidential campaign and has since continued to rise within the group. Alternately advisor and then director of commissions to the presidency, influential in the RHDP, Ms. Touré-Koné has been deputy secretary general of the presidency of Côte d'Ivoire since January 2022 and continues to be considered a loyal supporter of Alassane Ouattara.
Childhood dreams
In 2018. Gon Coulibaly is Prime Minister and appreciates Bruno Koné for his sense of work well done, “his financial rigor”. He offers her a new, more exposed position. Before specifying his mission, he warns him: “No minister left this ministry with a good name, we are counting on you”… Bruno Koné becomes Minister of Construction, Housing and Urbanism. At the time, the endless disputes over land, the numerous scandals, including that of the “deguerpis”, these poor inhabitants forcibly expelled from their unhealthy homes, to have tarnished the image of his predecessor.
“It's funny because I didn't really study for this, but somewhere my work connects with my childhood dreams. I consider my role essential in ensuring the well-being of Ivorians. Having a roof over your head and being comfortable at home is a fundamental right. We work well, we are only happy when we are well housed. Everywhere, construction contributes significantly to economic production and job creation. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, we have not yet achieved the assigned objectives.”
Four years after taking office, Bruno Koné's results at the head of this ministry are very positive, despite some setbacks and delays. An ambitious project to modernize urban territory management is underway and 30,000 social housing units have already been built.
Natural ventilation
“Today, the need for social housing is estimated at 600,000, including 500,000 in Abidjan. Our ambition is to build 40,000 to 50,000 per year over the next ten years,” he explains. Sometimes considered “too technocratic”, the elegant minister who dreamed of being an architect, does not hesitate to go to construction sites wearing a hard hat and often gives instructions to think about and build more ecological buildings. “We are fortunate to have very competent architects, who took into account all the richness of our traditional African knowledge. For example, we try to favor natural ventilation in buildings over air conditioning. Today, the densification of our habitat is essential. »
In recent years, the abandonment of around fifteen poorly designed buildings has damaged his image as a “builder”. “Since 2020, we will support the law and reinforce surveillance, particularly through the Collaborative Building Control Platform (PCCC), which now involves municipal councils. » This does not prevent a new vertical real estate fever from taking over Abidjan: the future Tower F, built by Pierre Fakhoury, should return Abidjan to its status as a major regional capital. Imagined and awaited for several decades, this immense building in the shape of an African mask, the sixth tower of the city's administrative center, will become the tallest in Africa.
“Abidjan stands out for its modernity, attractive and futuristic. This tower will be one of the landmarks of a strong and ambitious Ivory Coast… But it's not bling-bling! We are in an environment where there is a lack of offices, commercial spaces, hotels, etc. This tower will help reduce this deficit and will also be able to house part of our administration”, says the minister.
Bruno Koné, a great music lover in his spare time, lover of jazz and reggae, observing from the top of his ministry tower, recently rehabilitated, as Abidjan rises from the ashes, perhaps with the words of one of its singers in mind. Favorites, Alpha Blondy: “I'm incredibly lucky, God made me a weaver in dreams. »
