Author: The Editorial Staff

BCP Group and Seniors Plus, a pioneer in services dedicated to seniors in Morocco, announce the signing of a strategic partnership for the launch of TIQQA under the name BLADI TIQQA, an exclusive service offering for Moroccans Worldwide, designed to meet the needs of seniors aged 60 and over. Exclusively marketed to the Moroccans Worldwide clientele of the BCP Group, BLADI TIQQA is the solution designed by Seniors Plus to promote autonomy, well-being, and quality of life for individuals aged 60 and over. The operational implementation of this partnership is ensured by Maroc Assistance Internationale, a historical partner of Seniors…

The consolidation movement of rating agencies in Africa is accelerating. After Moody’s, which took control of South African Global Credit Ratings (GCR) – itself the owner of WARA (West Africa Rating Agency) – it is now S&P Global that is strengthening its presence on the continent by announcing the acquisition of a majority stake in...

A high-level conference on governance, critical minerals, and conflicts in Africa opens this Monday, July 27 in Accra, Ghana. It comes at a time when Africa plays a central role in the global transition to green energy and digital technologies, due to the importance of its reserves of critical minerals. In detail, this meeting – which ends on Wednesday – aims to examine the links between these resources, governance, conflict dynamics, as well as issues related to accountability, community rights, peace, and equitable development. The event is organized by Open Society Foundations and brings together public decision-makers, representatives of civil…

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially launched his new political party, “KIIRAAY – The Republican Patriots,” on Saturday, July 25 in Dakar, marking a new stage in the reconfiguration of the Senegalese political landscape after his break with PASTEF, led by his former mentor Ousmane Sonko. Unveiled during the constituent general assembly held in a hotel in the city, the new party’s motto is “The Nation First,” affirming a focus on defending national interests, strengthening republican institutions, and consolidating the rule of law. In Wolof language, “Kiiraay” means “that which protects,” a choice that the initiators present as a symbol…

The Vice President of the Republic of Ivory Coast, Tiémoko Meyliet Koné, arrived in Dakar on Friday, July 24, 2026 for a working visit. He was welcomed at Léopold-Sédar-Senghor airport by the Senegalese Prime Minister, Ahmadou Al Aminou Lô. This 24-hour working visit comes in the context of strengthening economic relations between the two main economies of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Beyond its diplomatic significance, this trip illustrates the willingness of both countries to enhance their economic partnership and their role in regional integration. According to data from the National Agency of Statistics and Demography (ANSD),…

Microinsurance companies operating in the CIMA zone will now have to operate under stricter financial supervision. Meeting on July 3, 2026 in Ouagadougou under the chairmanship of Maman Laouali Abdou Rafa, Nigerien Minister of Economy and Finance, the Council of Ministers of the Inter-African Insurance Markets Conference (CIMA) adopted a regulation amending notably Article 718...

The Union of Customs Brokers of Togo (UPRAD-TOGO) announced on Thursday, July 23, its membership in the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), the leading organization in the international transport, logistics, and transit sector based in Geneva. The country thus becomes the very first in Francophone West Africa to have an association that is a member of FIATA. This membership was approved by the organization’s general assembly on June 26, 2026, and has been officially effective since July 1, 2026, according to details communicated by Patrick Magnon, president of UPRAD-Togo, to the press. For the organization, this integration marks…

DP World announced on Monday, July 27, 2026, the completion of the main dredging works for the future deep-water port of Ndayane, thirteen months ahead of the initial schedule. This major technical milestone now allows for the earlier start of construction work on the quays and other maritime infrastructure, while reinforcing the goal of commissioning...

The 6 candidates officially proposed for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations, to succeed António Guterres when his term expires on December 31, 2026, have diverse profiles. For now, nothing is set in stone. At this stage, the real competition begins at the Security Council, where “straw polls” (indicative votes) will take place....

The legal battle around the Karma gold mine is taking on a new dimension. In a judgment rendered on June 10, 2026, the Ouagadougou Commercial Court annulled a gold streaming contract concluded in 2014 between the former owners of the mine and the Canadian groups Franco-Nevada and Sandstorm Gold. The two multinational companies are ordered...

Special guest on Financial Afrik on Friday, July 24, 2026, Lansana Gagny Sakho, Chairman of the APIX Board of Directors, delivers a frank analysis of Senegal’s economic situation. While acknowledging the seriousness of the debt crisis, the expert believes that the real challenge is to address reforms in order to restore investor confidence, reconnect with financial partners, and put the private sector back at the heart of the growth strategy. For Lansana Gagny Sakho, the central issue is the credibility of the State. Restoring transparency and the quality of budget reporting, he argues, is an essential prerequisite for any economic recovery.…

Professor Vincent Palokinam Pitché from Togo has been appointed as the Director-General of the West African Health Organization (OOAS), the specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the field of health. The headquarters, historically located in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, is currently being transferred to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He was appointed by the heads of state of the region for a four-year term. A dermatologist, infectious disease specialist, and lecturer at the University of Lomé, Vincent Palokinam Pitché succeeds Beninese Dr. Melchior Athanase Joël Codjovi Aïssi, who has been in office since August 3, 2022, and…

Established in 2015 by the Gabonese Strategic Investment Fund (FGIS), Gabon Power Company (GPC) is preparing for its listing on the BVMAC, the Central African Securities Exchange. Through this operation, the company aims to mobilize more private capital to support a vast portfolio of projects in electricity and drinking water, while reducing reliance on sovereign...

Morocco is accelerating its agricultural resilience strategy with the launch of a project worth 700 million dirhams (approximately $74.5 million) aimed at developing supplementary irrigation for cereals in the Dar Khrofa area in northern Morocco. Led by the Ministry of Agriculture, this program will cover 5,000 hectares spread across eight municipalities and is expected to benefit over 7,000 farmers. It is part of Rabat’s efforts to reduce the strong dependence of cereal production on climatic fluctuations. Cereals occupy a significant portion of cultivated agricultural land in Morocco. However, repeated droughts have caused significant fluctuations in production: the 2023-2024 season only…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has decided to maintain its key rate at 26.50%, following the 306th meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held on July 20 and 21, 2026 in Abuja. This is the second consecutive hold after the one in May 2026, in a context marked by the desire to consolidate the deflationary trend initiated several months ago. In addition to the key rate, the Committee maintained the corridor of permanent facilities at +50/-450 basis points, the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 45% for commercial banks and 16% for merchant banks, as well as the liquidity…

New developments in a project that has long been hindered by delays in macroeconomic convergence. Meeting on July 19, 2026 in Sierra Leone for its 69th ordinary session, the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS reaffirmed its commitment to the launch of the ECO in 2027. In its final communiqué, the organization...

Two months after the French group Société Générale finalized its withdrawal from the Cameroonian market, the State has reshuffled the deck at the top of its former subsidiary. On July 15, 2026, in Yaoundé, the board of directors of the institution – now known as the General Bank of Cameroon (GBC) – met to install...

Mustapha Benalkma was officially appointed as the CEO of the National Bank of Algeria (BNA) on July 18, 2026 by the Minister of Finance, Abdelkrim Bouzerd. He succeeds Samir Tamrabet, who is stepping down from the CEO position after two years. This appointment comes in the context of reforms and modernization of the Algerian banking...

Bridge Bank Group Ivory Coast (BBG CI) continues its expansion in West Africa. After opening a branch in Senegal in December 2021, the institution obtained approval from the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) last June to establish a subsidiary in Burkina Faso with a capital of 20 billion CFA francs. According to information,...

Ecobank Niger is entering a new phase of governance with the appointment of Fayçal Younoussou as Managing Director, replacing Didier Alexandre Correa, who had been leading the Nigerien subsidiary of the group based in Lomé since September 2015. A Nigerien national, Fayçal Younoussou has a background in treasury, risk, and financial markets. He has over...

In the context of our dossier on the ranking of the top 40 African banks, Henri-Claude Oyima, a prominent figure in the sector, has penned this significant editorial discussing the listing of the BGFI Group on the stock exchange. In full. On May 7, 2026, the Central African Stock Exchange took on a new dimension. The listing of BGFI Holding Corporation on the stock exchange raised over 45 billion CFA francs from 7,601 investors in 24 countries. Even more remarkable, 71.3% of subscriptions came from individual investors. A rare performance in a financial market often seen as narrow and illiquid.…

The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), created within the financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is reaching a new stage in its implementation. Meeting from July 8 to 10, 2026 in Manila, its board of directors adopted a series of decisions aimed at accelerating its operationalization,...

Diouldé Niane, founder of the National Mutual Insurance Company (SONAM), passed away on Sunday, July 19 in Paris, where he was receiving treatment. His name is inseparable from the development of private insurance in Senegal. At a time when the sector was largely dominated by international groups, he played a role in the emergence of...

As the head of Orange Bank Africa since 2025, Audrey Koffi embodies a new generation of banking executives convinced that the future of African finance is first and foremost mobile. With over 3.3 million customers and 640 billion FCFA in digital loans distributed, the bank claims a model based on financial inclusion, risk management, and...

At the end of an auction of Treasury assimilable bills (BAT) with maturities of 91 and 364 days, as well as Treasury assimilable bonds (OAT) with maturities of 3 and 5 years, organized on Friday, July 17, 2026 on the financial market of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the Public Treasury of...

Dakar, July 15, 2026 – New movement at the helm of major Senegalese state-owned enterprises. By presidential decree signed on July 15, 2026, the President of the Republic appointed Doune Pathé Mbengue, a civil administrator, as the Managing Director of the National Autonomous Port of Dakar (PAD). He succeeds Waly Diouf Bodiang, a tax and...

The World Bank is strengthening its commitment to the economic transformation of Senegal with the approval of an additional $140 million in funding to improve road infrastructure in the main agricultural production basins in the north and center of the country. Granted by the International Development Association (IDA) and complemented by a $2 million contribution from the Senegalese government, this new funding brings the total financing of the Agricultural Production Connectivity Project (PCZA) to $470.8 million, one of the key programs for modernizing rural infrastructure. The objective is to open up agricultural areas, facilitate access to markets, and strengthen agri-food…

On July 15 and 16, 2026, N’Djamena hosted the first African Water Forum, co-organized by the Republic of Chad and the World Bank Group. Under the theme “From vision to action,” this meeting brought together several African heads of state, international financial institutions, transboundary river basin organizations, and representatives from the private sector, all sharing the same observation: Africa is rich in water, but hundreds of millions of Africans still do not have safe and sustainable access to it. Beyond this widely shared diagnosis, it was mainly the solutions put forward by the various participants that structured the opening ceremony.…

For his first participation in a major continental event since his inauguration on May 24th, Beninese President Romuald Wadagni took part, on Tuesday, July 15th in N’Djamena, in the opening ceremony of the African Water Forum, alongside several African heads of state, including Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno (Chad), Félix Tshisekedi (Democratic Republic of Congo), Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema (Gabon), and Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani (Mauritania). This first appearance on the continental stage comes within the framework of a forum jointly organized by the Chadian government and the World Bank Group around the theme “From vision to action”, focusing on…

The African Water Forum, organized by the Chadian government and the World Bank, was the scene of a major political announcement that went beyond just water issues. At the official opening of the Forum, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno announced the abolition of entry visas for all African nationals starting from January 1, 2027, making this continental meeting a platform for a strong commitment to African integration. In front of several African heads of state, representatives of international institutions, and delegations from across the continent, the head of state first recalled the historical vocation of his country. “We are,…