Africa-Press – Gambia. The Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) is set to officially open its first country office in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, marking a key milestone in its regional expansion and efforts to deepen integration and development finance across West Africa.
The office was established through an agreement signed between EBID and the Ivorian government, with high-level officials including Dr George Agyekum Donkor (EBID President) and Ministers Leon Kacou Adom and Nialé Kaba representing Côte d’Ivoire.
This is EBID’s first country office in the Ecowas region, reflecting Côte d’Ivoire’s status as the best-performing economy in West Africa, with strong macroeconomic growth and political stability.
The Abidjan office will serve not only Côte d’Ivoire but also act as a regional hub for Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal, enhancing EBID’s ability to respond locally and regionally.
The office aims to improve access to EBID’s services, facilitate project implementation, and strengthen engagement with private sector actors to boost socio-economic development, infrastructure, energy, and agriculture.
Côte d’Ivoire has already benefited from about USD 940 million in EBID commitments, and the new office is expected to enhance project efficiency and deepen partnerships.
This move signals EBID’s transition toward a more embedded and proactive role in West African development finance, fostering closer cooperation and regional integration.
In summary, EBID’s new office in Abidjan is a strategic initiative to bolster investment and development efforts in Côte d’Ivoire and its neighbouring countries within the ECOWAS sub-region.
In his speech, the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EBID thanked the Government of Cote d’Ivoire for being a key partner of the Bank, paying particular tribute to Honourable Nialé Kaba, Governor of EBID on behalf of Côte d’Ivoire, for supporting the implementation of this initiative, which is in line with the Bank’s Strategic objectives. He also congratulated the Government of Cote d’Ivoire on the impressive macroeconomic gains made over the years, resulting in the Country being rated as the best economy in the West African sub-region with a BB, stable outlook (S&P) and a Ba2, stable outlook (Moody’s).
Outlining the aims of the office, Dr Donkor stated that “the country office will play a crucial role in the implementation of the Bank’s Strategic Plan, by making the Bank more accessible to existing clients and potential partners in Cote d’Ivoire and surrounding Member States while facilitating impactful interventions”.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Ivorians Living Abroad of Cote d’Ivoire welcomed the move by EBID, expressing the hope that having a national presence would enable the Bank to be even more relevant to the needs of economic actors, particularly in the private sector, to enhance its interventions. The Minister concluded his remarks by reiterating Côte d’Ivoire’s support for EBID’s contributions towards improving the livelihoods of the Ivorian people and the wider West African Community.
The Minister for Economy, Planning and Development, who is also the Governor of EBID, representing Côte d’Ivoire, commended the Bank for this bold strategic initiative. She pointed out that the signing of this agreement was a concrete expression of the shared commitment of Côte d’Ivoire and the Bank to address the infrastructure deficit in the ECOWAS region and thereby improve the lives of the people. She emphasised that Côte d’Ivoire would be the first Ecowas Member State to host a representative office of EBID.
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