Heading north out of Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, one thing that immediately strikes travellers from the West is the quality of the roads.

Not here your stereotypical third world dirt tracks.

Rather, a network of broad asphalt highways links all the major economic and political hubs in Côte d’Ivoire, an outward sign of the health of a country that’s laboured for years to overcome the effects of civil war, and which is now enjoying strong growth.

“Since 2012, the economy of Côte d’Ivoire has turned in a stellar performance, marked by a rapid increased in GDP,” states the World Bank. The roads are one indicator of that increase in GDP.

Another is the hustle and bustle of commerce evident in and around the streets of Abidjan themselves. And yet another is the revived interest of foreign investors…