Ecobank has always had grand ambitions. Launched in Togo in 1988 by a pioneering group of west Africans, it was meant to challenge the foreign and state-owned lenders that dominated the region, as well as foster economic integration by supporting cross-border trade.
It has since proved to be trailblazer. After expanding within west Africa, it moved into other areas of the continent at a time when few African banks were venturing outside their home markets. Today, it has $23bn of assets, full banking licences in 33 countries and representative offices in another three, making it easily the biggest bank in Africa by geographical spread.
