ABIDJAN, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Private investments approved in Ivory Coast hit 672 billion CFA francs ($1.09 billion) in 2016, barely changed from 670 billion CFA in 2015, an official from the Centre for Investment Promotion told reporters on Friday.

"We have an economy that continues to perform. By 2018 at the latest, this 672 billion CFA will be invested in the field," said the Centre's director, Emmanuel Essis Esmel.

Ivory Coast is emerging from years of political turmoil and its now fast-growing economy accounts for around 40 percent of the eight-nation West African CFA franc currency zone.

However, recent turmoil surrounding a soldiers' mutiny has raised questions about the continuing attractiveness of the world's top cocoa producer.

The construction and public works sector performed best, with 25 percent of total investment, followed by information technologies and communication with 17 percent and 15 percent in food and agriculture, he said. The transport sector accounted for 13 percent.

About 27 percent of investments came from Ivory Coast, 12 percent from France, 10 percent Nigeria and 9 percent from England.

($1 = 616.8800 CFA francs) (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly, writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Toby Chopra)