al ▁trad ing ▁posts ▁and ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁an ▁acceler ated ▁program ▁of ▁expl oration ▁in ▁the ▁interior . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁Lieutenant ▁Louis ▁Gust ave ▁B inger ▁began ▁a ▁two - year ▁journey ▁that ▁travers ed ▁parts ▁of ▁I v ory ▁Coast ' s ▁interior . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁journey , ▁he ▁had ▁concluded ▁four ▁treat ies ▁establish ing ▁French ▁prote ctor ates ▁in ▁I v ory ▁Coast . ▁Also ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁Verd ier ' s ▁agent , ▁Marcel ▁T reich - L ap l ène , ▁negoti ated ▁five ▁additional ▁agre ements ▁that ▁extended ▁French ▁influence ▁from ▁the ▁head w aters ▁of ▁the ▁Niger ▁River ▁Bas in ▁through ▁I v ory ▁Coast . ▁ ▁French ▁colonial ▁era ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁France ▁had ▁established ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁coast al ▁regions ▁of ▁I v ory ▁Coast , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁Britain ▁recognized ▁French ▁so vere ig nt y ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁France ▁named ▁T reich - L ap l ène ▁tit ular ▁governor ▁of ▁the ▁territory . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁became ▁a ▁French ▁col ony , ▁and ▁Captain ▁B inger ▁was ▁appointed ▁governor . ▁Ag re ements ▁with ▁Liber ia ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁and ▁with ▁Britain ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁determined ▁the ▁eastern ▁and ▁western ▁boundaries ▁of ▁the ▁col