Author: The Editorial Staff

The ECOWAS Investment and Development Bank (BIDC) signed a $10 million credit line with Vista Bank Sierra Leone on Monday, October 27, 2025. This agreement aims to strengthen financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), support local institutions, and promote female entrepreneurship and youth in the country. During the signing ceremony, BIDC President Dr. George Agyekum Donkor emphasized the crucial role of SMEs in regional economic resilience and competitiveness. According to him, the development of a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly in productive sectors such as agriculture and agro-industry, is essential to enhance food security, develop local value chains, and increase…

Mediterrania Capital Partners (MCP), a pan-African private equity fund, announces a strategic co-investment of 100 million euros in Coris Holding, the second largest banking group in the UEMOA by total assets. This operation, carried out with several European development finance institutions – FMO, BII, BIO and Impact Fund Denmark – aims to strengthen the group’s equity and finance its organic and external expansion. Founded by Idrissa Nassa and firmly established in ten countries in West and Central Africa, Coris Holding has over one million clients and 2,200 employees. Its historical positioning in favor of financing SMEs, a pillar of the…

The Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations du Bénin (CDC Benin) launched the IDERA initiative on October 16, 2025, a unique program dedicated to promoting and financing structuring projects led by Beninese women. Convinced that economic equality is a driver of sustainable growth, CDC Benin sees IDERA as a real lever for transformation and empowerment of women in the national economy. Economic inclusion of women: a national growth issue In Benin, women represent 51.2% of the population and contribute to nearly 59.7% of the national economy. However, they remain predominantly active in the informal sector: 80% of micro-enterprises are owned by…

In a strong statement dated October 27, 2025, AFG Bank Madagascar puts an end to rumors: no, billionaire Maminiaina Ravatomanga, exiled to Mauritius following the hasty departure of Andry Rajoelina after the “GenZ” uprising, is neither a shareholder nor a beneficiary of the bank. The bank dismisses “unfounded allegations”, insinuating financial sanctions and irregular cross-border...

An investment of $12 billion has just been mobilized for the first phase of the China-Congo Industrial City project, signed on October 23, 2025 between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sino-Congo Special Zone (SCSZ) consortium. This partnership, it is said, is part of the dynamic of economic diversification and industrial...

On October 25, 2025, in Cairo, the new president of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Dr. George Elombi, presented a roadmap structured around institutional continuity and industrial and technological reorientation of the bank’s mandate. His dense and technical inaugural speech defines the operational priorities and political risks that the institution intends to face. Institutional continuity...

Loceni Compaoré, Ouagadougou. Burkina Faso has been removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. The announcement was made on October 24, 2025 by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, following the FATF plenary held in Paris. This decision marks the culmination of a long process initiated since February 2021, when the country...

Loceni Compaoré, Ouagadougou. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has officially removed Burkina Faso from its grey list of jurisdictions under enhanced monitoring. This decision, announced during the plenary held on October 24, 2025 in Paris, marks a major institutional victory for the Sahelian country, which has been engaged in a complete overhaul of its...

San Francisco, October 23, 2025 – This is a first in the history of the African continent. Kigali and ADHI Group have been honored by the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the San Francisco Urban Transformation Summit, receiving the World Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Award. This recognition celebrates an exemplary collaboration between the City of Kigali,...

At the end of the budgetary exercises of the UEMOA countries, the latest or almost the latest growth forecasts from the IMF are known. This Bretton Woods institution has revised downwards its growth forecasts for the UEMOA area at the end of 2025, from 6.3% to 5.9%. While the World Bank maintains its estimate at...

Synthesis of a study conducted by Thierry DJEUMO, International Strategy Consultant (Formerly McKinsey Paris), Manuella ZAGBA, Chartered Accountant and CEO of Cabinet DYESE (Photo), and Bassirou DIAO, Operational Efficiency Expert, Certified Master Black Belt Lean Six Sigma. As the business world undergoes unprecedented disruptions, a crucial question arises for African leaders: what role does Africa play in the new economy of performance? This is the question addressed by a landmark study signed by Thierry Djeumo, international strategy consultant (formerly McKinsey Paris), Manuella Zagba, chartered accountant and CEO of Dyese, and Bassirou Diao, operational efficiency expert, certified Master Black Belt Lean…

The cost of the kilowatt-hour (kWh) remains one of the major determinants of economic competitiveness in Africa. In October 2025, the contrasts are striking: while Mali, Burkina Faso, and Benin have prices above 120 CFA francs/kWh, Senegal is at 109 CFA francs, compared to 80 CFA francs in Ivory Coast and 99 CFA francs in...

In Burkina Faso, the transitional government led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré continues its regulatory offensive. It is now mandatory for all approved NGOs and associations to domicile their accounts with the Treasury Deposits Bank (BDT). This measure, adopted in a Council of Ministers on October 16, 2025, is officially motivated by the desire to combat...

The Moroccan logistics sector has just reached a historic milestone. After receiving approval from the Competition Council, the group Buildings & Logistic Services (BLS), founded and led by Moroccan entrepreneur Moncef Belkhayat, has finalized the acquisition of 100% of the La Voie Express group, the real estate company Espacim, and La Voie Express Messagerie, as...

In Washington, on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings, the Guinean delegation led by Minister of Economy and Finance, Mourana Soumah, accompanied by his counterpart Fascinet Sylla, Minister of Budget, met with representatives from Société Générale, Fitch Ratings, and Standard & Poor’s on October 16 with the ambition to strengthen the...

In 2017, footballer Ousmane Dembélé transferred 200,000 euros to his mother, Fatimata Dembélé, for her fortieth birthday. The French tax authorities consider this transfer not as a gift, but as taxable income, on the grounds that the beneficiary was then working for a company managing the player’s image. The transfer, made six months after the...

The 2024-2025 campaign confirms Mali’s return to the top spot in African cotton production, with an estimated production of 656,751 tons of cottonseed, according to the Malian Company for the Development of Textiles (CMDT). This level, achieved despite irregular rainfall and rising input costs, illustrates the strength of a farmer support model that has been...

Lomé, October 9, 2025. Thunderclap on the international bond market. The West African Development Bank (BOAD) has just signed a historic operation: one billion euros raised over 15 years, the longest maturity ever issued by an African multilateral development bank. Result: an overcharged order book of 2.7 billion euros, a tight spread of 35 basis points, and a final coupon of 6.25%. Unprecedented for the Lomé institution, and a strong signal to global markets. In a financial climate still marked by volatility, this spectacular performance illustrates the regained credibility of the BOAD signature and the investors’ faith in the stability…

Manila, Philippines.Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) concluded its 7th Board meeting by announcing the launch of the Barbados Implementation Modalities (BIM), its first call for proposals with a budget of $250 million USD. This decision marks the transition of the Fund from the design phase to concrete implementation. Scheduled to open on December 1, 2025 for a period of six months, the BIM will fund projects ranging from $5 to $20 million USD aimed at strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable developing countries exposed to the irreversible impacts of climate change. “The launch of the BIM…

The West African Development Bank (BOAD) is strengthening its support to Burkina Faso with the approval of a loan of 5.9 billion CFA francs (approximately $10.5 million) for the continuation of work on the new international airport in Donsin, a flagship project for the opening up and modernization of Burkina Faso’s air transport. Located about...

Ghana is taking a new step in modernizing its agriculture. The government has indeed signed, with Italy, a financing agreement of 154 million euros aimed at supporting agricultural and climate resilience, as part of a comprehensive program for sustainable land development and enhancement. The agreement, concluded on the sidelines of the 8th edition of the...

The candidate of the Cameroonian opposition, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, proclaimed his victory in the presidential election of October 12 on Monday evening, calling on the outgoing president Paul Biya to recognize “the truth of the ballot boxes”. “Our victory is clear. It must be respected,” said Mr. Tchiroma in a message posted on his Facebook...

Gold Flirts with Historical Highs -Wednesday, October 8, 2025. Gold has crossed the $4,000/oz mark, strengthened by global macroeconomic uncertainty. The yellow metal has risen by 51% in one year and 135% in three years. One of the explanatory factors for this trend is the strong pressure from Donald Trump on the Fed governor to...

The government of Ivory Coast honored Barthélemy Kouamé, designated as the 2nd Laureate of the National Excellence Award in the category of Media Development. The distinction was presented this Wednesday by the Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, Amadou Coulibaly, during an official ceremony held in Abidjan, in the presence of several personalities from the media, culture, and economy sectors. This recognition celebrates the journey of a professional committed to promoting a free, ethical, and development-contributing press. Barthélemy Kouamé, an entrepreneur and journalist by training, has dedicated over two decades to structuring and enhancing the Ivorian and African media sector.…

Dakar, October 12, 2025 – The State of Senegal carried out, from September 22 to October 10, 2025, the closure of its third Public Call for Savings (APE) of the year, for a total amount mobilized of over 450 billion CFA francs, representing a coverage rate exceeding 150% compared to the initial target of 300...

By Leila Ben Hassen, member of the Financial Afrik Awards jury. “Africa’s oceans are not just geographical boundaries – they are economic lungs, climate shields, and engines of transformation.” With over 30,000 kilometers of coastline and some of the richest marine ecosystems on the planet, Africa possesses exceptional natural capital. However, vision alone is not enough to unlock this potential. What the continent needs today is blue finance, this catalytic capital capable of transforming maritime opportunities into sustainable, investable, and resilient growth. What is blue finance – and why now? Blue finance encompasses financial instruments and investments aimed at supporting…

The 2022-2023 general report of the Court of Auditors was submitted to the Mauritanian Head of State on October 8, 2025, by the President of the Court of Auditors, Mr. Hemid Ould Ahmed Taleb. The document, a copy of which was obtained by Financial Afrik, paints a stark picture of the management of public affairs...

Antananarivo is in turmoil on October 11, 2025, with some of the largest demonstrations since the start of the uprising by young members of the “Gen Z” collective. In the morning of this Saturday, soldiers from the CAPSAT camp in Soanierana, under the command of Colonel Michaël Andrianirina, announced that they were “standing on the...

Attijariwafa Bank has announced the appointment of Daouda Coulibaly as Regional Director for West Africa. This designation is part of the strengthening of the regional governance of the Moroccan banking group, which is present in around twenty countries on the continent. Mr. Coulibaly, who has been the General Manager of Attijari West Africa (AWA) since 2021, will retain his current responsibilities while taking on his new regional coordination duties. He is also the Deputy General Manager and a member of the group’s Coordination and Synergies Committee. The new organization aims to accelerate the development of Attijariwafa Bank’s activities in West…

Dakar, October 9, 2025 – On the sidelines of the Invest in Senegal Forum and under the chairmanship of Mr. Birame Souleye Diop, Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, the Sovereign Strategic Investment Fund of Senegal (FONSIS) held a roundtable on the financing of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (REEF), a major lever for financing the energy transition. Developed by FONSIS in collaboration with the Africa Climate Foundation (ACF) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Senegal Green Energy Fund aims to catalyze private sector investments in support of green growth and energy sovereignty of Senegal and…