Cotonou, Benin — The strategic dilemma facing West Africa’s monetary union is blunt: can the region’s own savings be converted into the capital that funds its development, or will it remain dependent on external financing? That question framed the second edition of the Regional Shareholding Forum, held in Cotonou on 17–18 September 2026, where institutional actors, business leaders and market specialists demanded a deep shift in investment habits across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
Under the theme “Shareholding and financial sovereignty: mobilising savings to accelerate economic transformation”, the gathering — co-organised by UCA SGI and Dimensions GROUP — exposed a stubborn paradox. Despite dynamic growth in the UEMOA zone, regional financial markets still struggle to fully capture domestic savings.
Why popular shareholding is the missing link
For organisers and regulators, the conclusion is clear: strengthening popular shareholding is a decisive lever. Turning savings that often sit idle or are parked in very short-term placements into productive capital would give SMEs and large local groups the equity they need to expand.
From dormant deposits to productive equity
The forum’s work focused on several major axes:
- Access to capital markets: Making it easier for local companies to list and energising the Regional Stock Exchange (BRVM).
- Inclusion and innovation: Using digital tools to bring investment opportunities closer to the general public and to encourage financial education.
- Regulatory framework and public policy: Adapting tax and legal arrangements so that savings are steered durably towards financing infrastructure and the private sector.
Sovereignty as a strategic imperative
Representatives of the BCEAO, the UEMOA Commission and the regional financial markets authority stressed the structural nature of this approach. By making the financing of local economies more autonomous, states and businesses in the sub-region strengthen their resilience against external shocks and international market volatility.
From saver to shareholder: the urgency of action
As the proceedings closed on Friday in Cotonou, participants agreed on the urgent need to encourage every citizen to become a direct player in regional economic growth through shared investment.
