With Covid-19 upending much of the progress of recent years, Togo’s president Faure Gnassingbé talks about his reform agenda and attracting investment.

Ecobank’s reputation took a battering last year as it became mired in a well-publicised corporate governance crisis. Its new chief executive, Albert Essien, has restored some calm, and he tells Paul Wallace how he hopes to make the kind of returns that will entice more international investors to buy its stock.

The controversy that has dogged pan-African lender Ecobank in the last nine months has shaken it to its core. Last month Thierry Tanoh, its chief executive, was forced to stand down in what was the latest and, Ecobank shareholders will hope, possibly the last in a series of events that has dented the institution’s credibility.

Francophone west Africa’s regional stock exchange, the BRVM, suffers from low turnover and a lack of listings. But its chief executive tells Paul Wallace he is determined to change that and bring about closer ties with Nigeria and Ghana’s stock markets. 

Ecobank has been hurt recently by several allegations concerning its corporate governance. But Thierry Tanoh, its chief executive, insists it has done nothing wrong. He also explains why the pan-African lender represents a unique investment opportunity. 

African banks are increasingly looking outside of their domestic markets, and many of the continent's biggest lenders are now active in multiple countries, buoyed by greater access to vast unbanked populations and a more stable political environment.

Ecobank's CEO Arnold Ekpe explains how the bank upgraded and centralised its core system across operations in 32 countries, boosting efficiency and saving money along the way.