Idrissa Nassa’s Coris Bank targets Central African Republic with CEMAC expansion  

Coris Bank International (Coris Bank), the Burkina Faso-based financial services group founded by banking tycoon Idrissa Nassa, is preparing to enter the Central African Republic as it expands across the Central African Economic and Monetary Community. 

A delegation led by Mamadou Sanon, the group’s director for Africa, traveled to Bangui to advance the proposed market entry. On July 30, 2026, the delegation met with Ngabo Seli Mbogo, CEMAC’s commissioner for the Common Market, to discuss the planned branch. 

The bank is also seeking regulatory approval to operate in Cameroon and Gabon. An entry into the Central African Republic would give Coris Bank a broader presence in the six-member CEMAC bloc, where it already operates in Chad. 

Single-license rules open door to expansion 

Coris Bank’s plans come after changes to regional banking rules that could make cross-border expansion easier. 

On Jan. 1, 2025, the Central African Banking Commission, known as COBAC, introduced a single-license regime. The rules allow a bank licensed in one CEMAC country to open branches in other member states, subject to approval from the regional banking supervisor. 

The new framework gives Coris Bank a route to build on its existing operations in Chad without establishing an entirely separate banking platform in each market.

Cameroon, Gabon moves advance 

The Central African Republic plan follows steps already taken in Cameroon and Gabon. In early July, Coris Bank incorporated its Cameroonian subsidiary, Coris Bank International Cameroun, or CBI CM, in Douala. The company has share capital of 26 billion CFA francs. 

The subsidiary plans to provide deposits, loans and other financing services once it receives regulatory approval. Its corporate documents also allow for an Islamic finance division. 

Alice Dakuyo Kaboré will chair the board, while Lionel Wenceslas Ouédraogo will serve as managing director, supported by Deputy Managing Director Ling Namou. 

Incorporation alone does not allow the bank to begin operations. CBI CM still needs approval from COBAC and Cameroon’s Finance Ministry. 

Gabon is further along. In February, Nassa confirmed plans to enter the market after meeting with the country’s president. Coris Bank has since secured the required approvals and plans to establish its headquarters in Libreville.

Coris Bank enters a changing market 

The Central African Republic has also seen new competition in banking. Cameroon-based Afriland First Bank opened a branch in the country in June, with 2.15 billion CFA francs in capital. The country had four banks at the end of 2025. 

BGFIBank Centrafrique remained the leading lender in the first quarter of 2026, accounting for 65.72% of loans issued. Coris Bank’s planned entry would add another major player to the market. 

Nassa takes Coris Bank across Africa

Founded by Nassa in 2008 with about $3 million in capital, Coris Bank has grown into a regional banking group with more than $9 billion in assets. It operates across West Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. 

The group’s expansion has included the launch of Coris Bank International Guinea in 2021, adding to its growing West African network.

Its Central African push began with Chad, where the group completed its acquisition of Société Générale Tchad in December 2024. The lender, renamed Coris Bank International Tchad, is 67.8% owned by Coris Bank. 

With Cameroon, Gabon and the Central African Republic now in focus, Nassa is seeking to give Coris Bank a larger presence across Central Africa while building on the network it has developed in West Africa.