Completed in 1982, the 26-storey CCIA tower was the tallest building in Côte d'Ivoire for decades and became the defining silhouette of the skyline that earned Abidjan the nickname of the Manhattan of the tropics. It housed the country's international trade institutions and, for a period, the African Development Bank. It anchors the run of 1970s and 1980s towers along Avenue Jean-Paul II that record the confidence of the post-independence boom.
Completed in 1982, the Centre de Commerce International d'Abidjan, universally known as the CCIA tower, rose to 26 storeys and was the tallest building in Côte d'Ivoire for several decades, a status that made it the defining silhouette of the skyline that earned Abidjan its nickname as the Manhattan of the tropics or the Pearl of the Lagoons. Built during the final years of the post-independence boom driven by cocoa and coffee export revenues, the tower was designed to house the country's international trade institutions and for a period was home to the headquarters of the African Development Bank, before the bank's temporary relocation and later return to Abidjan. Architecturally the tower belongs to the wave of modernist office construction that transformed Le Plateau through the 1970s and 1980s, a run of concrete-and-glass towers along Avenue Jean-Paul II, including the cathedral and neighbouring hotel towers, that together record the confidence of the era. The building remains a working office tower today, housing government and commercial tenants, and its upper floors are not open to public visitors, though its base and plaza are a familiar landmark for anyone navigating central Le Plateau. Unlike some of its contemporaries, the CCIA tower avoided the long abandonment that affected buildings such as La Pyramide, and it has been maintained in continuous use since completion, making it one of the more legible surviving examples of Abidjan's 1980s skyline ambitions. Its plaza and lower floors accommodate ground-level shops and offices, and the building's silhouette continues to appear on tourism and government promotional imagery of Abidjan as a symbol of the city's economic ambitions.
| Admission | Free to view from the street; no public access to the upper floors |
|---|---|
| Hours | Private office building; exterior visible at any hour |
| Address | Avenue Jean-Paul II, Le Plateau, Abidjan |
Why it matters
As Côte d'Ivoire's tallest building for decades and a former home of the African Development Bank, the CCIA tower is the clearest architectural marker of Abidjan's 1970s-1980s economic boom.
Location
Avenue Jean-Paul II, Le Plateau, Abidjan
5.3315, -4.0222 View on map
Highlights
- 26-storey tower completed in 1982, once Côte d'Ivoire's tallest building
- Former headquarters of the African Development Bank
- Anchors the 1970s-1980s modernist towers on Avenue Jean-Paul II
- Continuously occupied since completion, unlike some contemporaries
Tips for visiting
- View the tower from the plaza in front of the cathedral for the best perspective
- The upper floors are private offices and not open to visitors
- Visit as part of a walking tour of Le Plateau's 1970s-1980s towers
- Photograph in late afternoon light for the best view of the glass facade
Frequently asked questions
Can visitors go up the tower?
No, the CCIA tower is a working office building and its upper floors are not open to the public.
Is there a fee to view it?
No, the exterior and plaza are freely accessible.
Why is the tower historically notable?
It was Côte d'Ivoire's tallest building for decades and once housed the African Development Bank headquarters.