• BRVM and Africa50 signed a deal to create new infrastructure financing tools

• The plan includes issuing infrastructure bonds and attracting long-term capital

• Target investors include pension funds, institutions, and individual savers

The Regional Stock Exchange (BRVM) and Africa50 have signed an agreement to develop new financing tools for infrastructure across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

The deal, signed on May 13, 2025, includes plans to issue infrastructure-specific bonds and roll out new financial products to raise long-term funding through the BRVM. The effort will cover all eight WAEMU member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.

The initiative seeks to attract capital from institutional investors, national and regional pension funds, and individual investors. It also aims to give project developers better access to finance and support the emergence of viable infrastructure projects across the region.

Africa50 CEO Alain Ebobisse said the continent’s infrastructure gap requires more than just capital, it demands innovation, trusted institutions, and African-led solutions.

Most infrastructure investment in Africa still comes from governments with limited fiscal room. According to the African Development Bank (ADB), the continent needs between $130 billion and $170 billion annually to meet infrastructure demands across transport, energy, water, housing, and waste management.

Africa50, created by African heads of state and the ADB, focuses on developing and financing infrastructure with support from both public and private investors. In 2023, the ADB committed $20 million toward Africa50’s goal of raising $500 million for high-impact infrastructure projects.