Côte d’Ivoire is fast-tracking fund domiciliation reforms to become the West African Economic and Monetary Union’s (WAEMU) private capital hub. Policymakers and investors at an Abidjan roundtable have urged pension fund mobilisation and Ohada alignment to unlock billions in domestic flows, according to AMF-Umoa’s Mahamadi Balima.
The push came at a high-level roundtable held at the Sofitel Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan, where more than 40 stakeholders from across the investment ecosystem gathered under the banner of “Galvanising Regional Collaboration Opportunities in Fund Domiciliation for Côte d’Ivoire”. The event was convened by the Collaborative for Fund Domiciliation in Africa alongside the Association Ivoirienne des Investisseurs en Capital. It forms part of a broader initiative led by the Mennonite Economic Development Associates to strengthen Africa’s investment architecture through locally domiciled, well-regulated funds.
Structural advantages and regulatory hurdles
Côte d’Ivoire already accounts for roughly 40% of economic activity within Waemu, giving it a structural advantage as the region’s most credible domiciliation candidate. However, stakeholders were candid that the country’s potential remains constrained. Participants said regulatory harmonisation, the adoption of modern fund structures — including limited partnerships — and faster policy reform are prerequisites for meeting global investor expectations.
According to a press release after the round table, Pension funds emerged as a central pressure point. IPS-CNPS investments and financial structuring deputy director Nomel Guillaume Diby flagged institutional capital from pension funds as significantly underutilised. He noted this represents a long-term domestic financing pool that reforms could unlock if directed through the right vehicles.
Diversifying capital for inclusive growth
Beyond institutional capital, the roundtable examined blended finance, impact funds, angel investing and crowdfunding as tools to channel capital toward youth- and women-led enterprises currently underserved by conventional financing.
“Côte d’Ivoire has a unique opportunity to establish itself as a competitive fund domiciliation hub by aligning its regulatory framework with global standards while mobilising domestic capital for inclusive growth,” said Stephen Antwi-Asimeng, Collaborative for Fund Domiciliation in Africa member.
The session closed with a call for follow-up policy dialogues and targeted engagements with institutional investors to convert roundtable momentum into concrete reform and measurable capital flows.