Côte d’Ivoire: Outstanding 2025 Performance Propels BNI to Become the Country’s Second-Largest Bank

In just one year, the National Investment Bank (BNI) has significantly improved its standing within Côte d’Ivoire’s banking sector. As of December 2025, the institution surpassed the FCFA 3 trillion mark in total assets—a key indicator of a bank’s size—reaching FCFA 3.166 trillion, compared to FCFA 2.358 trillion a year earlier. This represents an annual increase of 34% and positions BNI as the second-largest bank in Côte d’Ivoire’s financial market, with a 10% market share.

During its annual press conference held on June 10 in Abidjan, Chief Executive Officer Youssouf Fadiga presented the bank’s 2025 results, describing the year as a “milestone achievement” as virtually all key indicators reached historic highs for the institution founded in 1959.

The main driver of this performance was deposit mobilization. BNI recorded FCFA 2.772 trillion in deposits at the end of 2025, up from FCFA 1.842 trillion the previous year, representing a 51% increase in twelve months. This means customers entrusted an additional FCFA 931 billion to the bank.

Management attributes this strong growth to both the loyalty of existing customers and the acquisition of new clients, supported by the opening of new branches, the development of dedicated sector-focused desks, and the acceleration of service digitalization. Thanks to this progress, BNI now holds approximately 13% of the Ivorian deposit market, making it the country’s second-largest bank in terms of deposit collection as well.

Strong Profitability and Improved Efficiency

In terms of profitability, Net Banking Income (NBI) reached FCFA 118.2 billion, up 17% from FCFA 100.7 billion recorded in 2024. Viewed from a longer-term perspective, the performance is even more remarkable: since 2018, BNI’s NBI has more than tripled (+269%), with an average annual growth rate of 20.5%, placing it among the strongest performers in the banking sector.

Cost control was another key highlight of the year. Operating expenses increased by only 3%, allowing the bank’s cost-to-income ratio—a key measure of operational efficiency—to improve from 50.48% to 45.71%, a gain of nearly five percentage points in just one year.

As a result, net profit reached a record FCFA 46.8 billion, up 20% compared to 2024, continuing a trend of average annual growth of 28% since 2019.

A Bank Making Its Mark on Multiple Fronts

Beyond its financial results, 2025 was also a year of recognition for BNI. The bank won the Third Prize for Economic and Financial Performance at the public enterprise excellence awards organized by the government, as well as the Customer Service Excellence Award in the telephone support category at the Pépites de l’Accueil Awards. This marked the institution’s first victory after years of regularly finishing among the finalists.

BNI also received the Second Occupational Health and Safety Award in the Large Enterprise category from the National Social Security Fund (CNPS), an accolade traditionally dominated by industrial companies.

In supporting the real economy, the bank allocated nearly FCFA 163 billion to the extractive industry in 2025, a sector considered strategic for Côte d’Ivoire. It also strengthened its support mechanisms for local subcontractors operating in the mining and petroleum sectors.