• BGFIBank Cameroon raises capital from 20 to 50 billion CFA
• Move exceeds new CEMAC minimum capital requirement
• Reform aims to boost resilience, expand lending capacity

The Board of Directors of BGFIBank Cameroon has approved an increase in the bank’s share capital at a meeting held on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. The capital will increase from 20 billion CFA francs to 50 billion CFA francs ($36 million to $90 million).

The bank did not specify whether the increase will be carried out through a cash injection, the capitalization of reserves, or another mechanism permitted under banking regulations. In a press release, the group said the move reflects its confidence in the Cameroonian market and in the subsidiary’s growth prospects.

In line with CEMAC banking reforms

With this new capital level, BGFIBank Cameroon will significantly exceed the minimum share capital requirement set by the Central African Banking Commission (COBAC), the banking regulator for the CEMAC region (Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa).

At a session held on Dec. 10, 2025, in Libreville, Gabon, COBAC decided to raise the minimum share capital for licensed banks in the region to 25 billion CFA francs, from 10 billion CFA francs previously. The measure took effect on Jan. 1, 2026. 

According to COBAC, the reform aims to strengthen banks’ financial resilience, enhance their risk-absorption capacity, and support the financing of regional economies. It is part of the implementation of prudential standards inspired by the Basel Accords and comes amid rising non-performing loans in several CEMAC countries.

A report on lending rate trends published on Jan. 19, 2026, by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), indicates that BGFIBank Cameroon ranked fourth in the country’s banking market in terms of lending in the first quarter of 2025. The capital increase should enable the bank to expand its lending capacity and meet regulatory requirements. It could also signal a new phase of business expansion.

Chamberline MOKO