A month after the announcement that its Regional Office in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will be hosted by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan, a delegation from AFI led by Ravi Vig, Chief Operating Officer (COO), traveled to Dakar and Abidjan last week for a series of meetings. The mission kicked-off with a visit to the head office of BCEAO in Dakar, Senegal on 22 June 2017.

“AFI understands and appreciates the cultural, lingual, and socio-political diversity among our members, and we are confident that the physical vicinity to the region through our Regional Office would help expedite our Financial Inclusion mission in the SSA and MENA region”, highlighted Ravi while congratulating the host. Series of fruitful meetings and a session with the Honorable Governor Koné, proved successful for the mission, with BCEAO reinforcing its full support towards the establishment of AFI’s Regional Office.

AFI’s Executive Director Dr. Alfred Hannig relayed his congratulations to the host and said that the new office will make a significant impact on financial inclusion programs throughout the region. “Africa continues to be a global financial inclusion trailblazer and the home for innovation. With the set up of this office, AFI will be able to better support the important work of our members, and help highlight African leadership across the network.

The mission continues from Dakar to Abidjan this week, with series of discussions and site visits being arranged and facilitated by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Côte d’Ivoire.