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17�Թ��� Education, a 17�Թ��� Initiative, and Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of National Education, Literacy, and Technical Education (MENAET) have signed a renewable five-year partnership agreement to optimize the performance and governance of public School Management Committees (COGES) across Côte d’Ivoire.

A global leader in institutional capacity strengthening, 17�Թ��� Education is a trusted partner of communities, school leadership, and the government in Côte d’Ivoire. COGES, established by national decree to foster community-driven, participatory governance in public schools, play a crucial role in improving educational outcomes. 17�Թ��� Education has partnered with MENAET for over a decade to strengthen more than 100 COGES across Côte d’Ivoire through thoughtful, participatory institutional strengthening that builds community leadership in education.

The agreement, signed on August 27, 2026, in Abidjan by Moustapha Sangaré, Chief of Staff representing MENAET, and Ferdinand Leammayon Beblai, Country Director of 17�Թ��� Education Côte d’Ivoire, provides a formal institutional framework to support activities funded by Mondelez International’s Cocoa Life initiative.

Under the agreement, 17�Թ��� Education and MENAET will focus on enhancing the governance and management capacities of COGES, conducting training for education actors in target cocoa-producing communities, and supplying necessary equipment to support learning environments.

“We have been negotiating this type of partnership for several years, and this agreement strengthens the credibility of our work with COGES in Côte d’Ivoire,” said Mr. Beblai. “It is a formal recognition of 17�Թ��� Education’s work over the years in partnership with the government and provides a solid institutional framework for continued partnership.”

The agreement reinforces a shared commitment to sustainable educational quality, school governance, and child protection in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa-growing regions. Joint oversight will be managed through a dedicated steering committee alongside MENAET’s Directorate for the Promotion and Monitoring of COGES.