LONACI backs land ownership scheme for 210 lottery partners in Côte d’Ivoire
The national lottery operator is contributing FCFA3m per plot through a repayable scheme, with the first 30 concessionaires receiving land certificates in Abidjan.
Key takeaways:
- LONACI reported that 210 concessionaires had joined its land ownership initiative in Côte d’Ivoire.
- The scheme aims to improve access to property, helping concessionaires finance land purchases without resorting to high-interest loans.
- LONACI is contributing FCFA3m (US$5,100) per plot, with repayments deducted from concessionaires’ commissions.
- The first 30 concessionaires received land certificates at a ceremony in Abidjan on October 15.
Côte d’Ivoire.- Côte d’Ivoire’s National Lottery operator (LONACI) is contributing FCFA3m (US$5,100) towards land purchases for its concessionaires, covering over 40 per cent of each plot’s price, under a housing initiative aimed at improving their welfare.
The One Concessionaire, One Roof (Un concessionnaire, un toit) initiative aims to help LONACI’s lottery sales partners, known locally as concessionaires, acquire property without resorting to high-interest loans. The contribution is repayable through deductions from their commissions.
On October 15, the first 30 beneficiaries received land certificates at a ceremony at LONACI Studios in Marcory-Biétry, Abidjan. The project is led by the Mutuelle des concessionnaires (an association representing and supporting LONACI’s lottery sales partners), with support from LONACI’s management. According to the announcement, 210 concessionaires have joined the initiative.
The project covers a 10-hectare site divided into 500m² plots in the Attinguié-Songon and Adokoi-Village areas. Each plot is valued at FCFA6.5m (US$11,100), with LONACI contributing FCFA3m per plot. The operation is also secured by a partner insurer.
AbdoulKarim Ouattara, LONACI’s deputy general director, represented general director Dramane Coulibaly at the handover. He said the initiative recognised concessionaires who had dedicated themselves to the lottery operator.
“These are partners who have abandoned all other activities to dedicate themselves to LONACI. It was therefore natural that they could finally own real estate. We are contributing 40 per cent to support their well-being,” Ouattara said, according to a LONACI announcement.
Tra Honoré, president of the Mutuelle des concessionnaires, highlighted the difficulty of securing accommodation in Abidjan. “In Abidjan, it is not easy to find accommodation. Since 1970, this is the first time a general director has looked at our situation. We feel we have a father. Our way of saying thank you is to exceed the turnover figure,” Honoré said.
Honoré’s remarks underline the housing challenges facing concessionaires and the significance they attach to the initiative, which provides financial support towards property purchases while allowing LONACI to recover its contribution through commission deductions.
