The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) published, on November 13, 2025, the updated list of institutions authorized to offer Instant Payment (PI) services to the public through the Instant Payment System (SPI). This publication marks a new step in the operationalization of the financial inclusion and modernization of payments strategy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
The PI-SPI network, designed to ensure real-time transmission of interbank retail payments, now includes more than 70 approved actors in the eight countries of the Union. These actors include both commercial banks, electronic money institutions, and microfinance institutions. The objective is clear: to make instant payment a lever for financial and economic integration by connecting different banking and fintech channels to the same secure regional infrastructure.
The current configuration reflects a growing balance between traditional banks and new digital actors. Pan-African banks (BOA, Coris, Ecobank, Orabank, UBA) cover the entire UEMOA. Electronic money institutions (Orange Money, Moov Money, Mixx Senegal) expand access to the unbanked populations. Microfinance institutions (Baobab, Cofina, UM-ACEP, UM-PAMECAS) contribute to the democratization of instant payment in rural areas.
By publishing this list, BCEAO reaffirms its commitment to building a robust regional payment infrastructure aligned with international interoperability standards. The PI-SPI system is a strategic link in the payment interconnection program in the UEMOA zone and a precursor to continental digital integration.
