On the sidelines of the presentation of its 2025 Annual Report on Wednesday, July 22 in Dakar, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) highlighted the progress made in financial inclusion and innovation. At the heart of this strategy is the regional instant payment platform PI-SPI, which now has over 30 million users, representing nearly 40% of the adult population of the UEMOA, estimated between 75 and 80 million people.
Launched on September 30, 2025, this infrastructure allows users to send and receive money in real time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, between different financial institutions, whether banks, electronic money institutions, decentralized financial systems (DFS), or payment institutions.
According to Djibril Diaw, Director General of Operations and Financial Innovation at BCEAO, the platform is experiencing rapid growth. As of July 20, 2026, 80 institutions were connected to the network, compared to 45 at its launch, almost doubling in less than ten months. The network includes 59 banks, 9 electronic money institutions, 11 decentralized financial systems, and one payment institution.
This momentum is also reflected in increasing adoption by the population. Over 30 million people are now connected to PI-SPI, representing nearly 40% of the adult population of the UEMOA, estimated between 75 and 80 million people.
Since its launch, the platform has processed over one million transactions, with a total value of 110 billion CFA francs, demonstrating the progressive adoption of this new payment infrastructure by users.
For BCEAO, interoperability is now a key pillar of financial inclusion. By allowing users to make fund transfers between different operators, without being clients of the same institution, PI-SPI facilitates daily payments, reduces transaction costs, and strengthens access to financial services throughout the Union.
Beyond the numbers, the Central Bank considers this platform as a strategic infrastructure aimed at supporting the digitalization of payments, promoting financial innovation, and accelerating economic integration within the UEMOA.
