Author: Adama WADE

Lomé, Togo – Financial Afrik has learned from several familiar sources with the matter that an internal alert was filed in mid-November within Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), the holding company based in Lomé that oversees the entire Ecobank group. The report would have come from a staff member, or potentially a small group of employees,...

A legal proceeding opposes Fidelis Finance Burkina Faso to the Ivorian company SOGETRA. The case, now in the hands of justice, could lead to the first criminal precedent regarding the violation of banking secrecy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Four senior executives, as well as the financial institution itself as a...

At the outset, Sendou was supposed to be a symbol of energy sovereignty: 125 MW of baseload power, capable of reducing power outages and boosting Senegal’s industrial growth. Twenty years later, the ambition has dissolved into a labyrinth of offshore shareholders, scattered between Cyprus, Mauritius, Malta, London, Stockholm, and Tel Aviv, to the point that...

With a strategy focused on financial education, digital innovation, expanding product offerings, and advocating for tax and regulatory reforms, NSIA Asset Management aims to play a leading role in mobilizing African savings and directing them towards the real economy. This is what its CEO, Franck Olivier Diagou, stated on November 4, 2025, on the sidelines of the fifth edition of the Africa Financial Summit (AFIS). Interview. AFIS 2025 has emphasized the mobilization of African savings. What initiatives is NSIA Asset Management preparing to accelerate the mobilization of local savings, especially among the middle class, SMEs, and institutional investors? The first…

While seeking 30 billion CFA francs (54 million dollars) to finance part of its budget, Ivory Coast rejected 86 billion CFA francs (155 million dollars) during its issuance of Assimilable Treasury Bills (BAT) for 28 days, held on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 on the UMOA financial market. Despite an initial solicitation of 30 billion, investors...

No deadlock between Gabon and the IMF. According to authoritative sources at the Ministry of Finance, Libreville and the Bretton Woods institution have agreed on a schedule for the presentation, by the end of 2026, of consolidated economic data, especially those from the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years, essential for monitoring the structural reforms initiated...

On November 18, 2025, the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, H.E. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, received Constant Nemale, the founder and president of the Africa24 group, in Malabo. This meeting marks a symbolic reunion after a period of distance between two personalities who were behind the launch of Africa 24 in 2008 as a tool for promoting the Pan-African vision, which has become a leading media outlet on Africa over the past 17 years. Over the years, differences had emerged regarding the editorial and strategic direction of Africa24. It was criticized from Malabo for having strayed from the…

The Atlantic city of Dakhla, located 1695 km from Rabat, hosted an international conference on November 6, 2025, dedicated to the theme “The Moroccan Sahara: a strategic gateway of the Royal Initiative for the Atlantic Africa”, organized by the Council of the Commune of Dakhla, the International Diplomatic Center, the African Center for Strategic Intelligence, and the United Nations University for Peace in Dakar. The event, held in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Green March, concluded with an “Africa-Atlantic Declaration” that synthesizes the current state of the Sahara issue, international positions, and ongoing transformations in the Southern…

Es-Semara was once thought to be condemned to sand and the memory of caravans; now it is propelled to the status of a Moroccan geo-economic outpost, on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of the Green March. In this city located 200 kilometers east of Laâyoune, where salt, gold, and gum arabic were once traded, a more structuring project is now taking shape: to restore sovereign access to the Atlantic for the Sahel, by connecting Es-Semara to Zoueratt and then to the Sahelian heart — Timbuktu, Bamako, Niamey, N’Djamena.At the center of this story is a simple equation that diplomatic…

The latest developments coming from Bamako, Kayes, and Timbuktu are chilling. The dreadful Islamists of the JNIM are advancing in the countryside, blocking strategic roads, and depriving urban centers of fuel. In these grave hours, it is clear that the African Union’s statement expressing concern over the situation is the bare minimum. What then can...

The fifth edition of the Africa Financial Industry Summit (AFIS) opened on November 3 in Casablanca with a clear statement: “Africa does not have a capital problem,” said its initiator, Amir Ben Yahmed, CEO of Jeune Afrique Group. The continent has resources, savings, and investors. What is still lacking is the ability to mobilize this capital, structure large-scale projects, create endogenous guarantee mechanisms, and, above all, believe in its own potential. In a global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, persistent financial volatility, reduced budget margins, and the emergence of artificial intelligence as a systemic disruption, IFC Managing Director Mathar Diop…

Photo caption: The successive presidents of Afreximbank gathered in Cairo: Christopher Edordu, Jean-Louis Ekra, Benedict Oramah, and George Elombi – four leaders, four generations of a shared Pan-African vision of finance and trade. On October 24, 2025, in Cairo, Professor Benedict Oramah delivered his final speech as president of Afreximbank, thirty-one years after joining the institution he helped shape. In a dense speech, filled with history and strategic insight, he took stock of the bank, its projects, and its contradictions. “Our philosophy was based on the conviction that the only viable path for the development and economic empowerment of Africa…

Cairo, October 24, 2025. When Zimbabwe, ravaged by hyperinflation, burdened with debt, and under international sanctions, saw all international financial institutions turn their backs, one remained: Afreximbank. Under the leadership of Benedict Oramah, who bids farewell to the bank on October 24, 2025 in Cairo, the institution founded in 1993 has emerged as the financial pillar of economic pan-Africanism, embodying a simple and powerful idea: African risk deserves to be taken on by Africans themselves. A decade of strategic transformation Assuming the presidency in 2015, Benedict Oramah transformed Afreximbank from an import-export bank into a continental development bank. The year…

Facts: Mauritius was officially chosen at the end of September 2025 by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to host the headquarters of the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA). This decision follows the approval, in July 2024 during the 44th ordinary session of the African Union, of the creation of an independent African rating agency,...

Mobile Money, XAF/XOF convergence and single approval: the governor shares his vision In an exclusive interview with Financial Afrik, Yvon SANA BANGUI, the Governor of the Central African States Bank (BEAC), reflects on the major projects shaping the monetary and financial future of the CEMAC zone. From the rise of Mobile Money to the reform of the single banking approval, and the discussions on the convergence of the XAF/XOF CFA francs, he shares his strategic vision and outlines a financial system that is more resilient, inclusive, and adapted to contemporary challenges. Mr. Governor, you recently conducted a working visit to…

The giant SanlamAllianz, resulting from the merger between South African Sanlam and German Allianz, is preparing to sell its Nigerien subsidiary, according to exclusive information from Financial Afrik. A key player in Niamey, SanlamAllianz Niger ranks in the top 5 of the local market. The negotiation process is expected to pave the way for Vista...

Dakar, September 19, 2025 – The National Assembly has adopted the 2025 Investment Code, presented in advance by the Minister of Finance. This text is part of Senegal’s desire to modernize its legal and institutional framework in order to strengthen its attractiveness and improve its business climate. The result of a consultation process involving the...

Dakar is launching a new public call for savings (APE). The operation, whose subscription started today, aims to raise XOF 300 billion between September 22 and October 10. Accustomed to managing this type of fundraising, Impaxis Securities, arranger and co-lead manager alongside Société Générale Sénégal (the country’s leading bank) as co-arranger, and Société Générale Capital...

Dakar, September 8, 2025 – Coris Investment Group, a pan-African conglomerate founded in 2019 by Burkinabe businessman Idrissa Nassa, has officially finalized today the acquisition of Total Energies’ activities in Burkina Faso. The transfer documents were signed in Dakar by Yacouba Saré, CEO of Coris Invest Group, and Jean-Philippe Torres, President of Total Marketing Services Africa. This strategic operation highlights CIG’s entry into the oil downstream sector, strengthening its presence in a sector previously dominated by international majors. Announced on February 18, 2025 by Mr. Mbacké Badara (TotalEnergies) to Minister Serge Gnaniodem Poda, this transaction represents a major step in…

Addis Ababa, September 2025 – The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aims to finalize rules of origin by October 2025 to achieve 97% tariff liberalization and pave the way for increased integration of African markets. However, discussions remain stalled in two strategic sectors: textiles and automobiles. These blockages reflect structural divergences. In the textile sector, West African cotton-producing countries defend their positions against nations with textile transformation and export industries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco). In the automotive sector, the divide is between countries with emerging industries (Morocco, South Africa, Rwanda) and those fearing direct competition in still fragile markets. Nevertheless,…

On September 1, 2025, will be remembered as a special day in the history of the African Development Bank (AfDB). During a solemn swearing-in ceremony, rich in emotion, the new president Sidi Ould Tah paid tribute to the two heads of state present – the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania – before congratulating his predecessors, Donald Kaberuka and Akinwumi Adesina, two figures who have marked the last twenty years of the institution. Beyond the excitement of this day, a new era now opens, full of immense challenges and urgent…

Sanlam Allianz Re, formerly Saham Re, has dismissed its CEO, Ilyes Hassib, Financial Afrik has learned. With extensive experience in the sector, he had notably led the Africa acceptance department at Société Centrale de Réassurance in 2013, before joining Sanad (Atlanta group) and then Saham. His departure comes just after returning from leave. This decision...

On September 30, 2025, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) will reach a historic milestone with the official launch of the Interoperable Instant Payment System Platform (PI-SPI), orchestrated by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). “This is not just a technical adjustment, but a deep shift towards a new monetary architecture, where the slowness, fragmentation, and delays that plagued financial transactions will be nothing but distant memories,” explains an expert from a currency exchange office. From this date, transfers between banks, microfinance institutions, and mobile money operators will be executed in real time, 24 hours a…

Thirty days before the end of his term, Akinwumi Adesina, outgoing president of the African Development Bank (BAD), is making decisions as if he had five more years at the helm of the institution. Promotions, privileges, and benefits are raining down on the Lagune. More than 22 senior executives have just been appointed to key positions. A frenzy of signatures that raises questions. Among the promoted, his loyal chief of staff Alex Mubiru has been elevated to head of the representation for Southern Africa in a first wave that concerned a few executives. The latest wave, made public on July…

At a time when it celebrates its 40th anniversary, Sonatel displays solid results and a certain resilience in a regional stock market environment that remains cautious. In the first half of 2025, the telecoms group, active in Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone, recorded a turnover of 960.2 billion FCFA (+9.4%), an EBITDAAL of 458 billion FCFA (+12.3%), representing a margin of 47.7%, and a net profit of 208.1 billion FCFA (+8%). These figures reflect a healthy trajectory, driven by sustained investments of 152.6 billion FCFA and consistent execution rigor. On the strategic segments, the customer base reached 42.5…

Exclusive interview with Dalvim Pipa, Director of DEEDC at the Capital Markets Commission (CMC – Comissão do Mercado de Capitais). Conducted on the sidelines of ATIDI’s annual meetings (June 21st), this conversation highlights the key reforms underway to enhance the attractiveness of Angola’s financial market and position the country as a credible player in regional...

ounded in 2013, Financial Afrik is a bilingual, pan-African media platform delivering trusted news, expert analysis, and strategic insights on finance, banking, capital markets, and public policy across the continent. Certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI), Financial Afrik publishes real-time articles through its website, a daily newsletter for decision-makers, a monthly magazine with deep dives, and mobile apps dedicated to news and events. Its readership spans financial executives, investors, policymakers, and researchers seeking high-quality, independent reporting on African economies.

Intersecting Portraits of a Rising Generation in Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Region Swept by the crosswinds of the Mozambique Channel and the Indian Ocean, a new generation of leaders is redefining the contours of finance not only in Madagascar but also in the Comoros, Mauritius, and the wider region. They are bankers, insurers, industrialists, fund managers, or digital strategists — united by a shared ambition: to build sustainable economic models rooted in regional dynamics and open to international investment. Here is a mosaic of rising figures in Madagascar’s evolving economic landscape. Hugues Bonshe Makalebo, the Network StrategistCEO of Baobab…

“Implementing the AfCFTA requires tact and patience,” asserts Riyad Mezouar, Chairman of the Bureau of African Ministers of Finance and Economic Planning, following the marathon conference of African finance ministers held from March 12 to 18 in Addis Ababa. This statement, made during an event coinciding with the fifty-seventh session of the Economic Commission for...

Abidjan, February 18, 2025 – Atlantique Finance (AFIN), a subsidiary of the Pan-African group Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP), has achieved a major milestone by ranking as the top Securities Brokerage and Management Company (SGI) in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) for the year 2024. With a market share of 25% and handling transactions worth 235 billion FCFA, AFIN stood out among the thirty-six SGIs operating in the market, reinforcing its central role and expertise in the regional financial sector. This exceptional performance underlines the effectiveness and relevance of AFIN’s business model, solidifying its position as a leader in…