The Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) launched Friday its regional office in Africa during its 9th AFI Global Policy Forum (GPF) held in Sharm El Sheikh.
The AFI Africa Regional Office is hosted by Cote d’Ivore’s Ministry of the Economy and Finance and the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
“The AFI Regional Office in Africa will have the advantage of supporting the identification of regional financial inclusion priorities and challenges. It will also provide close assistance for in-country implementation of polices in the countries of the region,” said Cote d’Ivore’s Minister of Economy and Finance Adama Koné.
With the establishment of its Regional Office, AFI seeks to ensure greater proximity to its members in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and respond efficiently to their needs. The Regional Office will also enhance the network’s ability to support its members in working on specific regional priorities, sharing regional knowledge, and translating global financial inclusion issues into practical implementation at regional and national levels.
“A milestone has been achieved with the opening of the AFI Regional Office for Africa and the Middle East. This will strengthen the policy intervention mechanisms of the concerned countries in deepening financial inclusion,” Tiemoko Meyliet Kone, Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), told AFI earlier.
The two-day forum on financial inclusion kicked off in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on Wednesday, organised by the AFI, with the participation of around 95 countries of the alliance’s members.
