The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), through its training and research center, the West African Center for Banking Training and Studies (COFEB), organized in Dakar the certificate award ceremony for the Executive Management Strategic Banking Program – Level 2 (CEMSTRAT 2), in partnership with HEC Paris. This program, aimed at executives and senior managers in the banking and financial sector, aims to develop new managerial postures to enable participants to effectively mobilize and support their organizations in implementing their vision and strategic ambitions.
Focused on performance, leadership, and digital transformation, the program highlights modules dedicated to strategic management, digital business models, innovative financing, and emerging financial technologies. Participants learn how to drive performance, anticipate the evolution of cryptocurrencies, master distributed ledger technology, and embrace new modes of financing.
The program is aimed at strategic players in the banking and financial system of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), including bank executives, members of management committees, and department heads.
“The 2025 edition of CEMSTRAT 2 crowns more than a decade of successful collaboration between the BCEAO, through COFEB, and HEC Paris, in strengthening the capacities of banking and financial actors. This program constantly adapts to the rapid changes in the economic and financial environment. Your feedback, especially on the duration of the modules, the deepening of certain themes, and the desire to integrate more testimonials from industry professionals, is part of a continuous improvement process. They will allow for the necessary adjustments to ensure the program fully meets your needs,” said Mahaman Tahir HAMANI, General Director of COFEB.
Comprising key themes around value creation, digital, green finance, and governance, the program allows leaders to acquire high-level methodological tools and strengthen their ability to drive organizational success.
“This edition brought together 27 recipients from eight countries representing 19 institutions in the banking sector, FinTech, as well as the private and public sectors. Over six months, they followed modules on strategic transformation, cybersecurity, green finance, regulation, leadership, digital strategy, and public speaking. It is a human and academic adventure that illustrates the strength of the thirteen-year partnership between HEC Paris, COFEB, and BCEAO,” emphasized Armelle DUFOUR, Director of International Strategic Projects at HEC Paris.
She specified that the CEMSTRAT 1 and CEMSTRAT 2 programs are now eligible for credit within HEC Paris’ Global Executive Management Program, thereby enhancing their international academic recognition.
“Thanks to the quality of teaching, academic rigor, and the availability of our trainers, we leave better equipped, with a clearer vision of our role in building strong and inclusive African economies,” testified Massetou DIABY, Deputy General Manager of NSIA Bank Côte d’Ivoire and recipient of the 2025 promotion.
For the 2026 edition, the organizers plan to enrich the program with new themes related to current trends in financial engineering, opportunities offered by the international capital market, and the strengthening of behavioral skills (soft skills), particularly public speaking.
