View source for Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie

{{short description|Former French-owned banking network in Africa}}
[[File:Immeuble Nabil Jan 2016.png|thumb|Head office of BICICI in Abidjan, photographed in 2016]]
The '''Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie''' ('''BICI''') was a network of banks in [[sub-Saharan Africa]] created from 1962 onwards by [[Paris]]-based [[Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie]] (BNCI). Following successive mergers it was inherited by BNCI's successors the [[Banque Nationale de Paris]] (BNP, 1966–2000) then [[BNP Paribas]] (since 2000). BNP Paribas sold most of the BICI network in the early 2020s.
==Overview==
[[File:BiciciBke2.jpg|thumb|BICICI branch in [[Bouaké]]]]
In July 1940, facing challenging prospects at home following the [[Battle of France|German invasion of France]], the Paris-based BNCI acquired the {{lang|fr|Banque de l'Union Nord-Africaine}} in [[Algiers]] to develop its activity outside Europe. The BNCI renamed that bank as {{lang|fr|Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie en Afrique}} (BNCI-Afrique or BNCI-A), and opened a branch in [[Saint-Louis, Senegal]] simultaneously as another in [[Casablanca]].<ref name=BNPP>{{cite news |website=BNP Paribas |title=BNCI – Internationalisation via Africa |date=11 March 2016 |url=https://histoire.bnpparibas/en/bnci-internationalisation-via-africa/}}</ref> More sub-Saharan branches followed in subsequent years.
Following the [[loi-cadre Defferre]] of 1956, most sub-Saharan [[French Africa|African French colonies]] became independent countries by 1960, and developed their own national banking policy frameworks. In this new environment, the BNCI reorganized branches of BNCI-Afrique into fully capitalized subsidiaries whose equity capital was opened to local partners including the newly established national governments.
Thus in 1962, four stand-alone banks were created in [[Cameroon]], the [[Republic of the Congo]], [[Côte d'Ivoire]], and [[Senegal]]: respectively, the Banque internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie du Cameroun (BICI Cameroun) in [[Douala]], the Banque internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie du Congo (BICI Congo) in [[Brazzaville]], the {{ill|Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie de la Côte d'Ivoire|fr|Banque internationale pour le commerce et l'industrie de la Côte d'Ivoire}} (BICICI) in [[Abidjan]],<ref name=CFNewsCI>{{cite web |website=CF News |url=https://www.cfnews.net/L-actualite/CFNEWS-Afrique/BNP-Paribas-et-Proparco-soldent-leurs-parts-dans-la-BICICI-416681 |date={{date|2022/10/04}} |author=Stéphanie Roux |title=BNP Paribas et Proparco soldent leurs parts dans la BICICI}}</ref> and the {{ill|Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie du Sénégal|fr|Banque internationale pour le commerce et l'industrie du Sénégal}} (BICIS) in [[Dakar]].<ref name=SUNU>{{cite web |url=https://sunubicis.com/articles/la-bicis-rejoint-le-groupe-sunu|website=SUNU BICIS |date={{date|2023/05/02}} |title=La BICIS rejoint le Groupe SUNU}}</ref>
More creations followed in the early 1970s: the {{ill|Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie du Gabon|fr}} (BICIG) in [[Libreville]] in 1973, the [[Banque Internationale pour le Commerce, l'Industrie et l'Agriculture du Burkina Faso]] (BICIAB) in [[Ouagadougou]] also in 1973,<ref name=CFNewsBFG>{{cite web |website=CF News |url=https://www.cfnews.net/L-actualite/CFNEWS-Afrique/Afrique-108-BNP-Paribas-Pharmavet-Maroc-Tsebo-SN-Power-344635 |date={{date|2020/10/27}} |author=Stéphanie Roux |title=Afrique #108 : BNP Paribas, Pharmavet Maroc, Tsebo, SN Power...}}</ref> the [[Banque Togolaise pour le Commerce et l'Industrie]] (BTCI) in [[Lomé]] in 1974,<ref name=IBTogo>{{cite web |website=IB Bank Togo |title=Notre historique |url=https://www.ibbank.tg/node/6}}</ref> and the BICI-Tchad in [[N'Djamena]] in 1976.{{R|BNPA|p=5}} The [[Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie de la Guinée]] (BICIGUI) was founded in [[Conakry]] in 1985,<ref>{{cite web |website=PitchBook |url=https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/442717-39#overview |title=La Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie de la Guinée}}</ref> the [[Banque pour l'Industrie et le Commerce des Comores]] (BICC) in [[Moroni, Comoros|Moroni]] in 1990, and the [[Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie du Mali]] (BICIM) in [[Bamako]] in 1999.<ref name=AFGM>{{cite web |website=AFG Bank Mali |title=Notre histoire |url=https://afgbankmali.com/notre-histoire/}}</ref>
Meanwhile, in 1974 the BICI Congo was merged into a new entity, the Union Congolaise de Banque (UCB).<ref name=BNPA>{{citation |publisher=BNP Paribas - Archives et Histoire Groupe - CARe (Content Archives Research) |url=https://asset.mediahub.bnpparibas/is/content/bnpparibas/BNP_exploitation%20internationale_affaires%20financi%C3%A8res_Afrique |title=BNP Exploitation Internationale}}</ref>{{rp|4}} In the mid-1980s, BICI-Tchad merged with Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique du Tchad, the local affiliate of [[Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale]] (BIAO).{{R|BNPA|p=6}} In 1989, the [[Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie du Niger]] (BICIN) in [[Niamey]] was acquired by the Nigerien affiliate of BIAO even as the BIAO Group was experiencing financial distress.<ref name=BIAN>{{cite web |website=BIA Niger |url=https://bia-niger.com/historique/ |title=Historique}}</ref> In the early 1990s, BNP exited Cameroon through a series of transactions [[Bank Brussels Lambert]] and [[Dresdner Bank]].{{R|BNPA|p=4}} In 2002, BNP Paribas withdrew from BTCI and left it in the ownership of the Togolese government.<ref>{{citation |title=Implementation Completion Report (PPFI-Q0390; TF-29423; IDA-30450) on a credit in the amount of SDR 22 million (US$30 million equivalent) to the Republic of Togo for a public enterprise restructuring and privatization support project |date={{date|2003/05/05}} |publisher=World Bank |location=Washington DC |url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/es/961971468781189306/pdf/258391Togo1Pub1estruc1010Priv101ICR.pdf}}</ref>{{rp|12}}
By 2012, the BICIGUI was the largest bank in Guinea.<ref>{{cite web |website=International Finance Corporation |date=2015 |url=https://disclosures.ifc.org/project-detail/SII/33502/banque-internationale-pour-le-commerce-et-lindustrie-de-la-guinee |title=Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie de la Guinee}}</ref> By 2019, the BICIG was the second-largest bank in Gabon.<ref>{{cite web |website=Le Nouveau Gabon |date={{date|2019/07/02}} |url=https://www.lenouveaugabon.com/fr/economie/0207-14994-la-banque-internationale-pour-le-commerce-et-l-industrie-du-gabon-realise-un-benefice-de-11-3-milliards-de-fcfa-en-2018 |title=La Banque internationale pour le commerce et l’industrie du Gabon réalise un bénéfice de 11,3 milliards de FCFA en 2018}}</ref>
In 2019, BNP Paribas signaled its intent to reduce its African footprint.<ref name=Assoko/> It exited Gabon, Mali and the Comoros in 2020,<ref name=CFNewsCGM>{{cite web |website=CF News |url=https://www.cfnews.net/Archives/Chroniques-de-CFNEWS/Afrique-92-BNP-Paribas-Covid-19-Bridges-Builder-Novastar-Ventures-330513 |date={{date|2020/05/19}} |author=Stéphanie Roux |title=Afrique #92 : BNP Paribas, Covid-19, Bridges Builder, Novastar Ventures...}}</ref> Burkina Faso and Guinea in 2021,<ref name=IBTogo/><ref>{{cite web |website=Vista Bank |url=https://vistabankgroup.com/group/news/vista-bank-group-closes-deal-to-acquire-bnp-paribas-subsidiary-in-guinea/ |date=July 2021 |title=Vista Bank Group closes deal to acquire BNP Paribas’ subsidiary in Guinea}}</ref> and Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal in 2022:<ref name=CFNewsCI/><ref name=CFNewsS>{{cite web |website=CF News |url=https://www.cfnews.net/L-actualite/CFNEWS-Afrique/Senegal-BNP-Paribas-se-retire-413946 |date={{date|2022/09/13}} |author=Stéphanie Roux |title=Sénégal : BNP Paribas se retire}}</ref>
* the government-controlled Fonds Gabonais d'Investissements Stratégiques (FGIS) acquired BNPP's 47 percent stake in BICIG in March 2020,<ref>{{cite web |author=Omer Mbadi |date={{date|2020/04/07}} |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/923335/economie-entreprises/le-francais-bnp-paribas-sort-definitivement-du-gabon/ |website=Jeune Afrique |title=Le français BNP Paribas sort définitivement du Gabon}}</ref> then sold majority control later that year to Atlantic Financial Group (AFG), controlled by Ivorian financier {{ill|Bernard Koné Dossongui|fr}};<ref name=DirectInfos/>
* AFG also acquired BNPP's 85 percent stake<ref name=Assoko>{{cite web |website=Jeune Afrique |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/782297/economie-entreprises/banque-bnp-paribas-cede-cinq-de-ses-filiales-africaines/ |date={{date|2019/06/02}} |author=Joël Té-Léssia Assoko |title=Banque : BNP Paribas cède cinq de ses filiales africaines}}</ref> in BICIM in December 2020 and renamed it AFG Bank Mali in May 2024;<ref name=AFGM/>
* Also in December 2020, AFG acquired BICC;<ref name=DirectInfos>{{cite web |website=Direct Infos |date={{date|2020/12/16}} |title=AFG finalise l’acquisition des filiales BNP Paribas au Gabon, au Mali et aux Comores |url=https://directinfosgabon.com/afg-finalise-lacquisition-des-filiales-bnp-paribas-au-gabon-au-mali-et-aux-comores/}}</ref>
* Separately in 2020, [[Vista Bank (Africa)|Vista Bank]], controlled by Burkinese financier {{ill|Simon Tiemtoré|fr}}, announced its acquisition of BNPP's 52 percent stake in BICIGUI and BICIAB.<ref>{{cite web |website=La Tribune AFrique |date={{date|2020/10/19}} |url=https://afrique.latribune.fr/finances/banques-assurances/2020-10-19/banques-simon-tiemtore-s-offre-les-filiales-de-bnp-paribas-au-burkina-faso-et-en-guinee-860180.html |author=Ristel Tchounand |title=Banques : Simon Tiemtoré s’offre les filiales de BNP Paribas au Burkina Faso et en Guinée}}</ref> BICIGUI was renamed Vista Guinée (VistaGui) in July 2021;<ref>{{cite web |website=Financial Afrik |date={{date|2021/07/30}} |url=https://www.financialafrik.com/2021/07/30/guinee-vista-bank-officialise-lacquisition-de-la-bicigui-et-devient-vista-guinee/ |title=Guinée : Vista Bank officialise l’acquisition de la Bicigui qui devient Vista Guinée |author=Mamadou Aliou Diallo}}</ref>
* In October 2022, a consortium of Ivorian government entities acquired BNPP's 59.8 percent state in BICICI;<ref name=CFNewsCI/>
* In May 2023, the {{ill|SUNU Group|fr|Sunu Group}}, controlled by Senegalese financier {{ill|Pathé Dione|fr}}, acquired BNPP's 54 percent stake in BICIS.<ref name=SUNU/>
==See also==
* [[Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale]]
* [[Banque Marocaine pour le Commerce et l'Industrie]]
* [[Banque de Madagascar]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Defunct banks of France]]
[[Category:Banks established in 1962]]
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