On the occasion of the inauguration of the new offices of the West African Development Bank on May 7 in Dakar, the president of the institution, Serge Ekue, delivered a speech marked by the desire to further anchor the bank in the economic dynamics on the ground and strengthen its role as a catalyst for regional development.
In front of several members of the Senegalese government, representatives of the Central Bank of West African States, technical and financial partners, as well as private sector actors, Serge Ekue emphasized the symbolic significance of this establishment in the Senegalese capital, the historical seat of the BCEAO and the institutional heart of the West African Monetary Union.
The president of the BOAD paid tribute to the BCEAO for its historical support to the regional institution, recalling that the central bank had hosted the BOAD’s resident missions for several decades. According to him, the opening of autonomous offices in Dakar, following the one in Abidjan in 2025, does not represent a distancing, but rather an extension of the common ambition to build a more integrated and prosperous West Africa.
In his intervention, Serge Ekue also highlighted the strategic role of Senegal in the regional dynamics. He mentioned the country’s strong economic growth, driven in particular by the growth of the oil and gas sectors, the modernization of infrastructure, and the vitality of the private sector. According to the high-ranking Beninese official, the new natural resources offer Senegal a historic opportunity to accelerate its structural transformation and strengthen its economic resilience.
The president of the BOAD recalled several projects funded by the institution in Senegal, including the construction of six agricultural vocational high schools intended to train 4,800 young people per year, the development of the northern segment of the national gas pipeline, the Linguère solar power plant, as well as digital infrastructure, including the modernization of data centers and the SHARE submarine cable.
Beyond Senegal, Serge Ekue highlighted the financial performance of the BOAD within the framework of the strategic plan “Djoliba 2021-2025”. The institution claims 3,762.3 billion CFA francs in cumulative financing, representing more than 112% of the initial target, with assets now reaching 5,363.5 billion CFA francs.
Building on this momentum, the new strategic plan named “Djoliba… The Next Chapter”, approved on March 27, 2026 by the Council of Ministers of the UEMOA, foresees 6,500 billion CFA francs in financing for the period 2026-2030. Serge Ekue also mentioned the recent issuance of a one billion euro bond over fifteen years by the BOAD, presented as the longest euro issuance ever made by an African multilateral development bank.
In concluding his speech, the president of the BOAD emphasized that these new offices reflect a desire for increased proximity with the states, institutions, and economic actors of the region. He called for continued collective efforts to build a more integrated, innovative, and prosperous UEMOA.
