At a Glance
- BCP acquires DPI’s 20.17% stake, gaining full ownership of the pan-African lender.
- Deal values ABI above $1 billion, marking one of Africa’s largest private equity exits.
- Full control strengthens BCP’s expansion, digital banking push, and decision-making across Francophone Africa.
Morocco’s Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP), Morocco’s second most valuable lender, has tightened its grip on West and Central Africa’s banking market after acquiring full ownership of Atlantic Business International (ABI) in a transaction valued at more than $200 million, cementing ABI’s status as a billion-dollar financial services platform.
The deal sees Development Partners International (DPI) exit its 20.17 percent stake in ABI, handing BCP 100 percent ownership of the pan-African lender. DPI first invested in ABI in 2017, backing its expansion across Francophone Africa at a time when regional banking consolidation was accelerating.
Consolidating a pan-African banking platform
ABI operates across eight countries in West and Central Africa, serving more than 850,000 customers through a growing network of retail and corporate banking operations. Under the joint stewardship of DPI and BCP, the group scaled its balance sheet, deepened financial inclusion, and strengthened its competitive position within the UEMOA banking market.
The transaction implies a valuation of more than $1 billion for ABI, placing it among Africa’s most valuable banking platforms and ranking the exit as one of the continent’s largest private equity deals this year. For DPI, the sale marks a clean exit after eight years of value creation, underscoring the firm’s strategy of backing scalable financial institutions in high-growth African markets.
A landmark private equity exit
For BCP, the move is both strategic and symbolic. By consolidating full ownership, Morocco’s second-largest banking group gains greater flexibility to align ABI with its broader African growth ambitions, streamline decision-making, and accelerate expansion across its core Francophone footprint.
“We are pleased to have sold our stake in Atlantic Business International to Banque Centrale Populaire,” said Babacar Ka, a partner at DPI. “Working closely with ABI’s management team and BCP, we helped build one of the leading banking groups in the UEMOA region.”
Positioning for the next growth phase
With full control now secured, BCP is positioning ABI for its next phase of growth, deepening regional integration, expanding digital banking capabilities, and reinforcing its role as a key financial intermediary in some of Africa’s fastest-growing economies.
