INFOGRAPHIC – The history of BNP Paribas in Africa from 1940 to today

Last update: Jan 7, 2025
Major branch of the BICI Senegal in Dakar, 1971- BNP Paribas Historical Collections
Major branch of the BICI Senegal in Dakar, 1971- BNP Paribas Historical Collections

BNP Paribas is an international banking group. Since the 19th century, its forerunner banks chose to develop their operations in Africa. The Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris (CNEP) was the first bank to open branches on the African continent. But the Group primarily expanded in the 20th century, right up to the 1960s. The CNEP, Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (BNCI), Paribas and Société Générale de Belgique established themselves broadly in the colonial empires before adapting their system during the decolonisation period.

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