The Federation of Professional Associations of Banks and Financial Institutions of the UEMOA (FAPBEF-UEMOA) held its Federal Council and a regional forum dedicated to artificial intelligence on 23 and 24 September 2026 in Dakar, Senegal. Meeting on 23 September, the Federal Council examined the main dossiers of the Federation, notably the follow-up of previous recommendations, the accounts closed as of 31 December 2025, as well as the execution of the program of activities and the 2026 budget.
Members also took stock of other structuring projects, including the construction of the Federation's headquarters currently underway in Cotonou, Benin. On 24 September, the regional forum on "Artificial Intelligence in the service of financial inclusion and banking transformation in the UEMOA" brought together representatives of banks and financial institutions, regulators, public authorities, fintechs, telecom operators, researchers, and IA experts.
Discussions focused on the main applications of artificial intelligence in the banking sector, particularly regarding financial inclusion, risk management, service transformation, cybersecurity, and governance. The proceedings also addressed issues related to data protection, model transparency, human supervision, and cooperation between the various actors in the ecosystem.
During his opening speech, the President of the FAPBEF-UEMOA, Mr. Guy-Martial AWONA, recalled that "Artificial intelligence only has value for our professions if it serves inclusion and the real economy.
Technology is not an end but a means. The means to better know the clientele, to better finance small and medium-sized enterprises, and to bring the bank closer to those who remain distant from it.
It is by this standard, and not solely by the performance of the tools, that we will measure progress." At the end of the proceedings, the Forum put forward several recommendations structured around four pillars: Coordinate, with the establishment of a "IA & Finance" regional working group, involving business lines, risk, compliance, data, information systems, and cybersecurity functions, in liaison with the BCEAO and competent authorities; Regulate, through the development of a regional charter for responsible artificial intelligence, based on common principles of transparency, explainability, data protection, human supervision, and responsibility; Train, with the implementation of a AI Banking Academy intended for executives, administrators, business lines, and risk and control functions; Measure and experiment, through an observatory, a benchmarking mechanism, and a laboratory dedicated to mapping usage, monitoring the maturity of institutions, and experimenting with real use cases.
In this dynamic, a regional roadmap for the 2030 horizon was proposed in order to integrate this approach over the long term. The stakeholders agreed to regularly monitor its implementation and evaluate progress with regard to the priorities selected at the regional level.
The FAPBEF-UEMOA thanks the Senegalese authorities for their availability and support, and acknowledges the participation of Mr. Aliou Ndiaye, Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning, representing Minister Cheikh Diba who was unable to attend, as well as Mr.
François-Étienne Déthié Sène, National Director of the BCEAO for Senegal, at the opening ceremony. It also thanks all the actors of the Senegalese banking market for their mobilization, and particularly the APBEF Senegal and its President, Mr.
Sahid Yallou. About the FAPBEF-UEMOA.
The Federation of Professional Associations of Banks and Financial Institutions of the UEMOA (FAPBEF-UEMOA) brings together the professional associations of banks and financial institutions of the member states of the UEMOA. It represents the interests of the profession before regional authorities and institutions.
Published on 30/09/26 14:41. Press Release