“Two-thirds of businesses in Côte d'Ivoire have no written emergency plans. The 40% who have them have not tested them in the past 12 months.”
This is one of the main information that emerges from the study carried out by Artworks International, a firm specializing in risk management and emergency plans. A situation that could be detrimental for companies, the sustainability of their activities and therefore for the national economy.
“A plan that is not tested may no longer correspond to the reality of the moment. The threat is dynamic and can change over time, so it's important to test your plan for much more resilient businesses,” says Serge Kouakou, CEO of Artworks International.
For Artworks International, West Africa is no more at risk than other parts of the world. But in recent years, countries in the sub-region have been rocked by market fires, epidemics, political crises, terrorist attacks, bad weather, floods, coastal erosion, maritime piracy, cybercrime and contamination risks.
Faced with all these threats, companies admit that they do not have the capacity, the tools and the system necessary to respond effectively if an emergency arises.
However, of all these risks, the fire threat is the best controlled in Côte d'Ivoire. “Companies have made a serious effort in this direction, but we need to go beyond that,” concludes Serge Kouakou, Managing Director of Artworks International.