• New office to serve six West African countries including Côte d’Ivoire
  
  
• Launch follows shareholder exits; EBID silent on governance implications
  

The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) opened its first regional office in Abidjan on Monday, a move the institution says will bring it closer to member states and speed up project delivery.

The launch follows a May 2025 agreement between the Ivorian government and EBID to set up the office. It will serve Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.

Ivorian Economy Minister Nialé Kaba said the new office reflects the bank’s intention to work more closely with member states. She said it should help identify needs more quickly, improve project monitoring and strengthen the impact of EBID’s financing.

Cassiel Ato Forson, Ghana’s finance minister and chair of EBID’s Board of Governors, said the opening is part of the institution’s expansion. EBID’s loan portfolio has doubled over the past five years and the Abidjan office will allow it to operate on a larger scale.

EBID President George Agyekum Donkor called the office "a transformative platform for deeper cooperation" and a way to reinforce dialogue with governments and the private sector.

The opening comes as three EBID shareholders, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, have announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS. The implications for the bank’s governance and shareholding structure remain unclear and EBID has not commented on the issue.

The launch coincides with Côte d’Ivoire’s preparation of its 2026-2030 National Development Plan, which aims to increase reliance on regional financial institutions. Kaba said EBID’s presence will be "a strategic asset" for the country. Based in Lomé, Togo, EBID has not announced plans for additional regional offices.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou