Financial Bank Benin was a commercial bank in Benin and a member of the West African Bankers' Association.
It had its headquarters in Cotonou and branches in cities such as Parakou. The bank was dominated by Swiss ownership, with Financial BC in Geneva having an 85% share, Aiglon S.A. in Geneva with 15% and private French shares (0.01%). [1]
The bank had a 25% share in the Benin microfinance group Finadev.
In 2011, Orabank took over the operations of the then-defunct Financial Bank Group. [2]
Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its population lives on the southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of 112,622 km2 (43,484 sq mi), and its population in 2021 was estimated to be approximately 13 million. It is a tropical country with an economy heavily dependent on agriculture, and is an exporter of palm oil and cotton.
The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture and cotton. Cotton accounts for 40% of Benin's GDP and roughly 80% of official export receipts. There is also production of textiles, palm products, and cocoa beans. Maize (corn), beans, rice, peanuts, cashews, pineapples, cassava, yams, and other various tubers are grown for local subsistence. Benin began producing a modest quantity of offshore oil in October 1982. Production ceased in recent years but exploration of new sites is ongoing.
Banking in Switzerland dates to the early 18th century through Switzerland's merchant trade and over the centuries has grown into a complex and regulated international industry. Banking is seen as emblematic of Switzerland and the country has been one of the largest offshore financial centers and tax havens in the world since the mid-20th century, with a long history of banking secrecy and client confidentiality reaching back to the early 1700s. Starting as a way to protect wealthy European banking interests, Swiss banking secrecy was codified in 1934 with the passage of a landmark federal law, the Federal Act on Banks and Savings Banks. These laws were used to protect assets of persons being persecuted by Nazi authorities but have also been used by people and institutions seeking to illegally evade taxes, hide assets, or to commit other financial crime.
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The Central Bank of West African States is a central bank serving the eight west African countries which share the common West African CFA franc currency and comprise the West African Economic and Monetary Union.
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First Bank of Nigeria is a multinational bank and financial services company with headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. First Bank was founded in 1894, by Sir Alfred Jones, but is currently owned by FBN Holdings PLC, which in itself has diversified ownership with over 1.3 million shareholders.
The historic overseas bank was established in London in 1828 as Leslie & Grindlay, agents and bankers to the British Army and business community in India. Banking operations expanded to include the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and elements of Africa and Southeast Asia. It was styled Grindlay, Christian & Matthews in 1839, Grindlay & Co from 1843, Grindlay & Co Ltd from 1924 and Grindlays Bank Ltd in 1947 until its merger with the National Bank of India.
Drinking water supply and sanitation in Benin has been subject to considerable progress since the 1990s, in particular in rural areas, where coverage is higher than in many other African countries, and almost all development partners follow a national demand-responsive strategy, which has been adopted in 1992. New strategies to increase water supply in rural and urban areas have been adopted in 2005 and 2006. Tariffs in urban and rural areas are usually high enough to cover the costs for operation and maintenance.
The Banque Internationale du Bénin (B.I.B.E.) was a bank of Benin and a member of the West African Bankers' Association.
United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) is a multinational pan-African financial services group headquartered in Lagos Island, Lagos and known as Africa’s Global Bank. It has subsidiaries in 20 African countries and offices in London, Paris and New York. In December 2021, UBA received its banking license to commence operations in the UAE. It is listed as commercial bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The shares of stock of the group are listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, where they trade under the symbol: UBA. The Group Chairman of the bank is Tony Elumelu and the GMD/CEO is Oliver Alawuba.
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Atlantic Bank Group, commonly known by its French name Groupe Banque Atlantique, is a West African financial services conglomerate, headquartered in Lomé, Togo. The Group consisting of banks and other financial services companies in Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Senegal and Cameroon.
BGFIBank Group, whose full name is BGFIBank Group S.A., is a financial services organization headquartered in Gabon. The group has subsidiaries in eight countries including Gabon, Benin, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Madagascar, France and Côte d'Ivoire.
Standard Chartered Kenya, whose official name is Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Limited, but is sometimes referred to as Stanchart Kenya, is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is a subsidiary of the British multinational financial conglomerate headquartered in London, United Kingdom, known as Standard Chartered. Stanchart Kenya is one of the banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the central bank and national banking regulator, in the largest economy in the East African Community.
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Banque Capitale du Bénin (BCB), formerly Banque d'etat du Benin, is a medium-sized commercial bank providing e-banking and other services in Benin. It is a member of the West African Bankers' Association.
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