Niamey: The President of the Republic, Army General Abdourahamane Tiani, held a significant meeting with the ministers responsible for Economy and Finance from the AES countries at his office. The discussions centered on the operationalization of the Confederal Bank for Investment and Development BCID-AES, as part of the Ministerial Development Committee meeting of the Confederation of Sahel States.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the meeting was attended by Dr. Aboubacar Nacanabo, Minister of Finance and Planning of Burkina Faso, Mr. Alousseini Sanou, Minister of Economy and Finance of Mali, and their Nigerian counterpart, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine. The ministers expressed gratitude for the arrangements made by President Tiani to facilitate the two-day AES meeting in Niamey.

Dr. Nacanabo highlighted the focus of the meeting on accelerating the roadmap validated by the presidents for the development pillars of AES. The discussion emphasized the progress made in operationalizing the Confederate Bank for Investment and Development, which had a prior meeting in Bamako. Key points were addressed to ensure the bank’s quick implementation to support public policies and structuring projects in the member states.

President Tiani provided directives to expedite the bank’s establishment, which is envisioned to bolster public policy implementation across AES countries. Dr. Nacanabo also reported on the recent WAEMU Council of Ministers meeting in Lom©, where AES Finance Ministers withdrew due to a disagreement over the rotation principle of the Council’s presidency. He emphasized the necessity of adhering to WAEMU’s texts to advance integration efforts.

The meeting was attended by notable figures, including Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, the Director of Cabinet of the President, Government Spokesperson Dr. Soumana Boubacar, and the President’s Financial Advisor, Mr. Ibrahim Djibir.