• Investment bank BCID-AES established  in Bamako
• Bank aims to fund infrastructure, agriculture, and energy projects in member states
• Key decisions pending on capital size and potential international partnerships

The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has formally established the Confederal Investment and Development Bank (BCID-AES). The announcement was made on Friday by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Aboubakar Nacanabo, speaking on behalf of the AES finance ministers.

Nacanabo and his counterparts from Niger and Mali presented the outcome of several months of technical preparations to Mali’s President Assimi Goïta, who heads the AES confederation, during a meeting in Bamako. This process culminated in the formal approval and signing of the BCID-AES founding charter, marking the bank’s legal establishment.

The decision follows the alliance’s announcement in late May 2025 of plans to create a regional investment bank to support major economic and infrastructure projects.

The BCID-AES will mobilize sovereign resources to finance priority projects identified by the three member states. Target sectors include road infrastructure, agriculture and food security, energy and regional interconnections, as well as private-sector projects aligned with national development priorities.

The bank follows the model of regional development institutions such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union’s BOAD and Central Africa’s BDEAC, which raise funds annually to finance public and private investments across their member states.

The three AES countries have already committed initial capital to the bank, although the amount has not been disclosed. A confederal levy is also planned to strengthen its financial resources.

With its founding charter approved, the BCID-AES can now move into its operational phase. The next steps include appointing senior management, setting up internal governance structures, and raising additional funding.

President Goïta said the bank is intended to serve as the AES’s financial arm, supporting both public and private projects across member countries.

Several strategic issues remain unresolved, including the size of the bank’s starting capital and whether it will be opened to international partners or non-member states. These factors will be decisive in determining its ability to finance large-scale projects in the Sahel, a region facing substantial development needs.

Chamberline Moko