Bishop of Yamoussoukro
Msgr. Joseph Kakou Aka was born on 17 August 1967 in Assinie, in the diocese of Grand-Bassam. After attending the minor seminary of Yopougon and the Saint Peter Regional Major Seminary of Pedu in Cape Coast, Ghana, he was awarded a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the State University of Accra. He was ordained a priest on 23 July 1994 for the diocese of Grand-Bassam. Following ordination, he first served as deputy parish priest and then parish priest of Saint Antoine de Padou in Moosou (1994-1999). He then studied for a licentiate in biblical theology at the Catholic University of West Africa (1999-2001). He then held the role of interim secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Côte d’Ivoire (2001-2002). He was awarded a licentiate in biblical exegesis from the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Rome (2002-2006), and went on to serve as director of the Biblical Apostolate (2007-2012), adjunct secretary of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa – CERAO/RECOWA (2012-2018) and, from 2018, secretary general.