The Agence Ivoirienne de Presse (AIP) is the official news agency of Côte d’Ivoire, established by Law No. 61-200 of 1961. It operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Communication and is headquartered in Abidjan. The agency provides news content to a wide range of public institutions and media organizations across the country and abroad. It also participates in regional press networks and is a member of FAAPA (Federation of African Press Agencies).
Media assets
News agency: Agence Ivoirienne de Presse (AIP)
State Media Matrix Typology
Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
AIP is a public administrative establishment entirely owned and overseen by the state. It is governed by a management council composed of eight members, seven of whom represent various ministries and government institutions. This structure ensures that political appointees maintain dominant influence over strategic decisions.
The Director General of AIP is appointed by presidential decree upon nomination by the Minister of Communication. In December 2024, former RTI Director General Fausséni Dembélé was named to lead AIP. He formally took office in January 2025, succeeding long-serving director Oumou Barry Sana. Dembélé’s appointment has been interpreted as part of a broader reshuffle of state media leadership in Côte d’Ivoire.
Source of funding and budget
AIP is predominantly state-funded. According to available government data, the agency received a public subsidy of XOF 622 million (US$1.1 million) in 2020, which accounted for approximately 76% of its overall budget that year. More recent audited financial data has not been made public.
Although the national budget for 2025 included a significant increase in overall state spending, no specific allocations for AIP have been disclosed. However, in early 2025, the agency took part in internal consultations with the Ministry of Finance during the national budget formulation process, indicating ongoing state financial support.
Editorial independence
There are no legal provisions obligating AIP to favour government authorities in its reporting. However, the agency lacks statutory guarantees of editorial independence, and no external oversight or accountability mechanisms have been established to assess or safeguard its impartiality.
AIP remains state-owned and closely allied with the government, but it does not function as a mouthpiece or propaganda arm in the manner of more overtly controlled outlets. Its fact‑checking initiatives, range of coverage, and lack of explicit pro-government slant suggest that AIP retains a measured level of editorial autonomy. Content analysis of the agency’s output conducted for this project confirmed the outlet’s general independence.
The agency has strengthened its fact-checking output in 2025, including the publication of several reports debunking misinformation related to military and political affairs. It has also broadened its editorial scope to include socio-economic development topics, such as coverage of small enterprise financing.
June 2025