The two-percentage-point contraction reflects an overall improvement in the situation of credit institutions spread across Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, and the CAR, even though monetary authorities emphasize that a ratio expressed as a percentage also depends on the pace of growth in total credit distribution relative to the nominal trajectory of arrears.


To grasp the significance of these indicators, the Central African Banking Commission (Cobac) reminds us of the complexity of the underlying risk typologies. Non-performing loans in fact include loans that have been in arrears for more than three months without being totally compromised, matured unpaid dues, as well as doubtful loans presenting a proven risk of partial or total non-recovery. The existence of these portfolios imposes strict provisioning requirements on financial institutions, the scale of which directly weighs on profitability and prudential ratios. Historically, the volume of these loans had undergone a pronounced expansion, rising from an outstanding amount of 495 billion CFA francs in 2012 to surpass the 1,900 billion CFA francs mark by the end of the 2022 fiscal year, before stabilizing around 2,024 billion CFA francs at the end of 2024.


The analysis of the causes of this past delinquency highlights a dual dimension, both structural and conjunctural. On the internal side of institutions, the central bank sometimes points to overly aggressive commercial expansion policies carried out at the expense of a rigorous assessment of borrowers' creditworthiness. On the external side, the slowdown in economic activity and the persistence of tensions on state treasuries—materialized by the accumulation of domestic payment arrears—cascade onto the financial health of creditor enterprises, impairing their ability to honor their banking obligations. While the decline recorded in mid-2026 testifies to a relative improvement in portfolio quality, only the analysis of nominal outstanding amounts will ultimately allow measuring the exact scope of this cleansing across the entire community financial ecosystem.


Asaba

Tags: cemac taux créances souffrance banque centrale afrique crédit bancaire risque financier provisions bancaires qualité portefeuille afrique centrale stabilité financière encours crédits