Dr Temitope Oshikoya, director-general of WAMIWest Africa's second monetary union project remains years behind its original schedule but recent progress towards convergence and the accession of a sixth member state have provided it with some much-needed momentum. Writer Daniel Maalo
Côte d'Ivoire's huge unbanked population makes the country an attractive target for both local and foreign banks. With the west African nation's banking sector on the verge of a consolidation process, those left standing will be well placed to tap into this enormous potential. Writer Nick Kochan
Retail banking in South Africa has emerged relatively unscathed from the global recession. Bankers are now taking advantage of the upturn, the confidence generated by the forthcoming World Cup hosted in the country and the largely untapped potential presented by the under-banked and unbanked population. Writer Michael Imeson
The parlous state of infrastructure in Africa is one of the main reasons the continent has never achieved its immense potential. The Banker's roundtable attempts to find out how this situation can be rectified and where the money will come from to fund it. Writer Charlie Corbett
Active in 23 countries, the UK’s Tullow Oil is now targeting the African market, a policy which took a huge leap forward in January with its $1.5bn purchase of Heritage Oil’s Ugandan assets, the funds for which were raised by an accelerated bookbuild that was completed in just over a week.
Salaheddine Mezouar, Minister of Economy and Finance for MoroccoMorocco's minister of economy and finance spoke to The Banker about fiscal reform, his plans to invest in the country's infrastructure to further diversify its economy and his priorities for 2010. Writer Charlie Corbett
Firing the chief executives responsible for mismanaging Nigeria's banks has been the first step to fixing the country's financial problems. Now the system is more transparent, Central Bank of Nigeria governor Lamido Sanusi is spelling out his vision for banking reform and stability. Writer Peter Guest