The Bank of Central African States (BEAC) injected CFA364.2 billion into banks across the Cemac region on May 12, 2026, in its latest effort to support lending activity in Central Africa’s banking system.
The operation involved commercial banks operating in the six Cemac member states: Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, and the Central African Republic.
Banks generally seek liquidity from the central bank when customer financing needs exceed their available cash reserves. For that reason, demand for BEAC funding is closely watched as an indicator of credit activity in the regional economy.
This time, however, demand came in below the amount offered by the central bank.
BEAC had made CFA550 billion available through the liquidity operation, but banks subscribed to only 66.2% of the total envelope.
The lower uptake contrasts with the second half of 2025, when commercial banks regularly requested more liquidity than BEAC initially offered. At the time, the central bank gradually increased the amount available to lenders, eventually reaching a record CFA800 billion.
The latest operation suggests lending demand in the Cemac zone remains relatively strong at the start of 2026, though momentum appears to have cooled compared with the surge recorded last year.
BRM
