WAEMU Council of Ministers: Economic prospects deemed encouraging, but…

The headquarters of the Central Bank of West African States is hosting the ordinary meeting of the WAEMU Council of Ministers this Friday. This is taking place against a backdrop of global geopolitical tensions whose impact is beginning to be felt on economies.

“In this global turmoil, our responsibility is to make our union not a space that suffers, but a space that chooses. Not a space that adapts belatedly, but a space that is undecided, with visibility and with boldness. Our sessions are therefore not centers of administrative voices,” stated Dr. Aboubakar Nacanabo , Minister of Economy and Finance of Burkina Faso, current Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the WAEMU.

Opening the session, he set the scene, informing that within the union, economic activity has strengthened with a growth rate of 6.7% in 2025. This follows a rate of 6.2% in 2024. This development is mainly linked to the strength of the extractive industries and services, as well as the satisfactory result of the 2025-2026 agricultural campaign, he said.

As for the inflation rate, for the whole of 2025 it is set at 0%, compared to 3.5% in 2024. A decrease induced by the easing of global food and energy prices, but also thanks to the improvement in the supply of cereals on local markets due to the good 2025-2026 agricultural campaign.

Meanwhile, the growth rate of credit to the economy within the Union stood at 5.6% in December 2025. It was at 4.5% during the same period in 2024.

"In view of these indicators, it appears that the economic outlook remains encouraging, even if it remains dependent on developments in the international situation, geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, the security situation in the Union, as well as the effects of climate change," says Mr. Nacanabo.

He therefore specified that no state can, alone, meet these challenges effectively and sustainably. "Our strength lies in our unity. Our future depends on our ability to deepen our integration, harmonize our policies, and pool our resources," the President of the Council of Ministers of the WAEMU told his counterparts from the other countries of the Union.