Search

West Africa’s Silent Monetary Tightening Forces Banks to Hoard Liquidity

Allen dreyfus Logo
© Allen Dreyfus
  • BCEAO holds policy rate at 3.5%, but liquidity conditions tighten
  • WAEMU banks triple reserves amid growing interbank stress

Cotonou, Benin – The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) has kept its main policy rate unchanged at 3.5% since December 2023. On the surface, this suggests stability, with inflation easing to 2.1% in February and GDP expanding 6.2% in 2024, with 6.5% forecast for 2025. But market signals tell a different story: monetary conditions are quietly tightening, and liquidity is becoming more expensive.

Recent Business

Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, Eyob Tekalign, took center stage at a Capacity Development Talk session on the sidelines of the 2026 IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC. Photo @NBE Facebook Page
Why Ethiopia's bold financial reforms could unlock growth or expose new risks
Read More »
Safety helmet at an oil field. Photo by Ümit Yıldırım @ Unsplash
Angola, Nigeria and Ghana in the firing line as Gulf crisis hits Africa’s fuel economies
Read More »
Photo by Omotayo Tajudeen © Unsplash /Nigeria
Nigeria’s fragile disinflation cracks as energy shock and election spending loom
Read More »

Recent Politics

Benin Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni. Photo @Romuald Wadagni/Facebook
Benin election 2026: From fiscal discipline to political delivery - Wadagni’s real test begins
Read More »
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by Johnnathan Tshibangu @ Unsplash
Why DR Congo is taking in US deportees — and what Africa gains or risks
Read More »
Kenya youth protest. Photo by Hassan Kibwana @ Unsplash
Will Kenya's new Gen Z uprising turn voter registration into a global youth political wave?
Read More »

Latest Posts

Latest news insights