The keys have changed hands, and with them an entire section of West African health diplomacy. Indeed, on October 8, 2026, at the Grand-Bassam technology park, Côte d'Ivoire officially handed over the keys to its temporary headquarters to the West African Health Organization (WAHO). On behalf of the Government, Adama Dosso, Minister Delegate in charge of African Integration and Ivorians Abroad, chaired the ceremony. It was held at the Village of Information Technologies and Biotechnology (VITIB). He was surrounded by Moussa Sanogo, Minister of Urban Planning, Housing and Living Environment, and Jean-Louis Moulot, Minister Delegate in charge of Technical Education and Mayor of Grand-Bassam.The Director General of WAHO, Professor Palokinam Pitché, and Ambassador Khare Diouf, resident representative of ECOWAS in Côte d'Ivoire, also took part in the event.

This handover materializes the decision taken on December 14, 2025 in Abuja. That day, the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS recorded the transfer of the headquarters of WAHO to Côte d'Ivoire. For Professor Pitché, this is a decisive step in the establishment of the organization. Adama Dosso underlined the Government's commitment to guaranteeing favorable conditions for this installation. He also praised VITIB, which carried out the work to fit out the temporary premises. The provisional site has 76 offices, for 120 agents. The final headquarters is under construction over 3,000 m².It will be able to accommodate 260 to 300 people and will be delivered in at least 5 months, according to the Minister. Until now based in Burkina Faso, WAHO is the specialized ECOWAS institution for health issues. It will be able to pilot its regional health cooperation programs from Grand-Bassam.

While waiting for its final walls, WAHO has an operational anchor point. It remains to finalize the Headquarters Agreement, the signature of which was still in preparation during discussions with the Ivorian authorities. For Grand-Bassam, it is the promise of a hub where innovation and regional health come together.