Banjul, Gambia — January 23, 2026. On the sidelines of the Financial Afrik Awards gala, the jury named Birahim Diouf Financialer of the Year, recognizing a career marked by rigor, continuity, and an intimate understanding of market infrastructures.
The choice was made following a thorough deliberation, based on the comparative analysis of several prominent profiles, presented in Financial Afrik issue 126. Quietly, the jury selected a determining criterion: the successful transition from a settlement-delivery cycle of J+3 to J+2, a structural reform that reflects a maturation of the regional financial market and its gradual alignment with international standards.
Director General of the Central Depository/Clearing Bank since July 2022, Birahim Diouf leads a key institution in the regional framework. The DC/BR centralizes and safeguards securities, ensures the successful completion of settlement-delivery operations, off-market operations, and payment of securities events. Technical, discreet missions essential to market confidence and stability.
His professional journey spans over time. After starting at Citigroup, he joined the central structures of the regional financial market in 1998, before continuing his career at BMCE Capital, the Economic Commission for Africa as a senior consultant for capital markets, and African Alliance Investment Bank in South Africa. At the Regional Stock Exchange and the DC/BR, he successively held positions in operations, studies, market strategy, and development.
His academic background — MBA from the Sorbonne Graduate School of Business, Executive MBA from INSEEC, master’s degree from Paris-I Panthéon-Sorbonne, bachelor’s degree from Paris-Dauphine, postgraduate diploma in Islamic finance from London — complements a profile where technical expertise is accompanied by a growing focus on sustainability and green finance.
Established in 1996 and operational since 1998, the DC/BR evolves alongside the BRVM and acts as the central infrastructure of the financial market of the West African Monetary Union. Under the leadership of Birahim Diouf, the institution strengthens its fundamentals and methodically supports the progressive modernization of the regional market.
By honoring Birahim Diouf, the Financial Afrik Awards jury applauds an approach based on execution, continuity, and institutional credibility — qualities that are rarely spectacular but decisively enduring.
