COFEB Trains 30 Banking Specialists to Support WAEMU Financial Sector
COFEB awarded certificates to 30 banking and financial professionals from the eight WAEMU member states after completing the first nine-month phase of its training program. The program prepares central bank, banking and financial sector executives to address financial innovation, digital transformation and increasingly complex supervisory challenges. COFEB has trained 1,828. . .
COFEB awarded certificates to 30 banking and financial professionals from the eight WAEMU member states after completing the first nine-month phase of its training program. The program prepares central bank, banking and financial sector executives to address financial innovation, digital transformation and increasingly complex supervisory challenges. COFEB has trained 1,828 graduates since its inception, including participants from several African countries beyond WAEMU. The 48th cohort of the West African Banking Training and Research Center (COFEB) completed the first phase of its training cycle, which focused on building the technical and strategic skills required for careers in banking and financial supervision. The cohort includes 30 participants from the eight WAEMU member states. It comprises 20 representatives from public administrations, four from credit institutions, three from microfinance institutions and three from other private financial institutions. Der Rogatien Poda, Vice Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), presented certificates to the participants during a ceremony held in Dakar on July 25. During the nine-month training phase, participants completed modules covering monetary and financial macroeconomics, public finance and debt management, capital markets, banking techniques and practices, and quantitative methods. In addition to coursework, participants attended conferences on current economic issues and specialized seminars on management, leadership and changes in banking professions. "The objective of this program is to equip executives from central banks, credit institutions and financial institutions with the knowledge they need to operate in a financial environment that is constantly evolving,"said Fernand Aboutou, adviser to the Director General of COFEB. Fernand AboutouThe training comes as central banks and financial supervisory authorities across the sub-region face growing challenges. These include strengthening banking sector resilience, accelerating financial innovation, expanding digital technologies and implementing more proactive supervision of financial institutions. Specialization phase will emphasize practical experienceThe second phase of the program will allow participants to deepen their expertise through a three-month internship. Participants will complete the program by writing and defending a final dissertation. COFEB designed this practical phase to strengthen the link between theoretical knowledge and the operational needs of financial institutions across the sub-region. Poda said the latest COFEB cohort arrives at a time when financial institutions face increasingly complex challenges. "In such a context, the ability to anticipate change, assess its implications and provide appropriate responses is no longer simply an advantage. It constitutes a fundamental requirement, both for our institutions and for the executives who will assume responsibilities within them. "Der Rogatien PodaHe added:"For several decades, COFEB has fulfilled this requirement through its mission of contributing to the emergence of a competent and visionary African elite that is fully prepared to support the economic, financial, technological and institutional transformations facing our states. "COFEB expands regional talent poolCOFEB has graduated 1,828 professionals across its first 47 cohorts since its establishment. Over the years, the institution has also welcomed participants from Guinea, Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Djibouti and the Union of the Comoros, in addition to the eight WAEMU member states. Edited by M. F. Vahid Codjia