Edoh Kossi Amenounve
General Manager of Bourse Regional des Valeur Mobilieres
Finance / Ivory Coast
BRVM makes trades pay for investors across Africa
The Bourse Regional des Valeur Mobilieres (BRVM) is a regional stock exchange based in Abidjan listing equities for Côte d’Ivoire and seven other West African nations, enabling investors to make pan-regional trades. Edoh Kossi Amenounve, the General Manager of BRVM, explains the bourse’s rising role in Africa.
What is BRVM’s role in African finance?
As the largest financial center of francophone West Africa, Abidjan is the gateway to a booming region that is reflected on the BRVM. In 2015, our stock exchange was the best performing in Africa, finishing the year with a 17.7% increase on our composite index largely due to strong economic growth in Côte d’Ivoire and across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). This performance has positioned BRVM among the most important stock exchanges on the continent.
When can investors expect large IPOs?
The Ivorian government has called for the increased privatization of national companies. Some major banks are now in the process of privatization, but this can take several years for larger companies, such as Côte d’Ivoire Telecom.
What does BRVM’s growth signal for the region?
Our bourse’s performance reflects the success of regional integration and the stability of the monetary union of WAEMU countries, namely Benin, Burkina-Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
