Côte d’Ivoire: NEI-CEDA nine-month profit falls to CFAF90m from CFAF1.6bn a year earlier

Editorial responsibility

Editorial responsibility: Paul Arnaud DEGUENON, journalist and business development expert.

Read our editorial charter · Report a correction

The publisher returns to profit after a loss in the first half. A provision reversal in 2025 also weighs heavily on the year-on-year comparison.

Côte d’Ivoire’s publisher NEI-CEDA reported CFAF90.2 million in net profit for the first nine months of 2026, down 94% from CFAF1.60 billion a year earlier. Yet the results released to the regional market on October 30 show a return to profit after a CFAF864.4 million loss in the first half.

The turnaround between June and September reflects the seasonal nature of its business. Revenue stood at just CFAF258.7 million at the end of June but reached CFAF3.16 billion over nine months, implying nearly CFAF2.90 billion in sales between July and September. NEI-CEDA had linked the first-half slowdown to a delayed school textbook campaign following a change in government policy on educational books.

Even with the recovery, nine-month revenue remained 7% below the CFAF3.41 billion recorded in 2025. Operating profit fell more sharply, from CFAF627.9 million to CFAF30.1 million, leaving an operating margin of about 1%, against more than 18% a year earlier.

The profit comparison is also affected by a particularly strong prior-year base. NEI-CEDA attributes most of the decline to a provision reversal recognised in 2025. Meanwhile, financial income rose to CFAF110.4 million from CFAF88.0 million, helping the publisher remain profitable through September.

In this article