Senegal: Islamic Bank of Senegal Secures €20m ITFC Trade Finance Line

The Islamic Bank of Senegal signed a €20 million financing agreement with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation, a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, on February 13. The facility equals more than 13 billion CFA francs.

The agreement is designed to expand BIS's trade finance capacity and support small and medium-sized enterprises. SMEs account for about 97 percent of Senegal's economic fabric and play a central role in employment and value creation.

The funding forms part of a broader five-year, €2 billion framework signed in May 2025 between Senegal and the ITFC. Under the annual plan, financing will target imports and exports of essential goods, including petroleum products and peanuts.

The ITFC also plans to mobilize 413.25 billion CFA francs for key sectors in Senegal. The goal is to support supply chains, secure hydrocarbon supplies, and strengthen the peanut sector, a main export crop.

For BIS, the facility increases liquidity available to local firms engaged in trade.

Key Takeaways

Senegal's trade finance push comes as the country enters a new phase of oil and gas production, with projects such as Sangomar and Greater Tortue Ahmeyim expected to reshape export flows. Expanding access to trade credit can help domestic firms integrate into supply chains linked to hydrocarbons, agriculture, and regional commerce within WAEMU. Islamic finance plays a growing role in West Africa, offering asset-backed and profit-sharing structures that align with Sharia principles. By channeling funding through BIS, the ITFC supports local financial intermediation rather than direct sovereign borrowing. The peanut sector remains a major source of rural income and foreign exchange, while fuel imports weigh on the trade balance. Strengthening trade finance capacity can ease working capital constraints for importers and exporters. The challenge will be to ensure that credit growth supports productive sectors and does not add pressure to external balances.

Read the original article on Daba Finance.