Company: Coris Bank International
Country: Cote d’Ivoire (BRVM)
Sector: Regional Banks
CEO: Idrissa Nassa
Website: Not publicly listed
Careers Page: Not publicly listed
LinkedIn: Not publicly listed
Email: Not publicly listed
Headquarters: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Founded: 2008
Valuation/Revenue: $566.5m market value (African Business Top 250, 2025)
Coris Bank International is a fast-growing West African banking group headquartered in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with shares listed on the BRVM regional stock exchange based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Founded in 2008, it has expanded aggressively through acquisitions to become one of the largest banking groups in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA/UMOA) zone.
What Does Coris Bank International Do?
Coris Bank International provides retail banking, corporate and trade finance, treasury services and SME lending across West Africa. Through its holding structure, Coris Holdings, the group has built a network spanning at least 11 countries including Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Chad, Cape Verde and other UMOA and Central African markets, expanding well beyond its original Burkinabè base. Its broader parent conglomerate, the Coris Group, also holds interests outside pure banking, including in telecoms, mining and manufacturing, giving founder Idrissa Nassa a diversified West African business empire beyond financial services.
Is Coris Bank International Legit?
Yes. It is regulated by the BCEAO (the regional central bank for UMOA member states) and listed on the BRVM, subject to that exchange’s disclosure and governance requirements. Its rapid growth and acquisitive strategy have made it one of the most closely watched banking groups in Francophone West Africa, and its founder was named “CEO of the Year” at the Africa CEO Forum in May 2025, a significant honour within African business circles that underscores the bank’s credibility and profile.
How Big Is Coris Bank International?
African Business magazine’s Top 250 companies in Africa list valued Coris Bank International at approximately $567 million in its 2025 ranking. By May 2025, Coris was reported to hold roughly a 10% market share within the UMOA banking zone and ranked as the third-largest banking group in the region, a striking scale achievement for a bank founded less than two decades earlier from a single Burkina Faso base.
Who Owns Coris Bank International?
Coris Holdings, controlled by founder and financier Idrissa Nassa, held approximately 63.6% of Coris Bank International’s equity as of 2024, down from around 70% in 2016 as the bank has broadened its shareholder base through its BRVM listing and regional expansion. The remaining shares are held by institutional and public investors across the BRVM market.
Who Is the CEO of Coris Bank International?
Idrissa Nassa, the bank’s founder and controlling shareholder through Coris Holdings, leads the group and was recognised as “CEO of the Year” at the Africa CEO Forum in May 2025, reflecting his prominent standing among West African business leaders and the rapid growth Coris has achieved under his leadership.
How Old Is Coris Bank International?
Coris Bank International was founded in January 2008, making it a relatively young banking group by regional standards, yet within roughly 15–17 years it grew from a single-country Burkinabè bank into a regional group present in 11 countries and ranked among UMOA’s top three banking groups by market share.
What Has Coris Bank International Been in the News For?
Coris Bank has been notably acquisitive in recent years: in December 2023 it acquired Standard Chartered’s retail banking operations in Côte d’Ivoire, and in January 2024 it completed the acquisition of Société Générale’s 67.8% stake in its Chad subsidiary, both moves consistent with the broader trend of European banking groups retreating from smaller African markets and being replaced by fast-growing pan-African and regional banking champions like Coris.
How Does Coris Bank International Compare to Its Competitors?
Within the UMOA zone, Coris competes with Ecobank’s regional network (including Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire), Société Générale’s remaining African operations, Bank of Africa/BMCE, NSIA Banque and Banque Atlantique for retail deposits, corporate lending and trade finance business. Coris’s rapid, acquisition-led growth strategy — picking up retreating European banks’ local operations — has distinguished it from more organically grown regional peers and helped it climb to third place by UMOA market share within a relatively short operating history.
Links
Website: Not publicly listed
Careers Page: Not found
LinkedIn: Not found
Email: Not publicly listed
FAQ
Is Coris Bank International legit?
Yes, it is a BCEAO-regulated, BRVM-listed banking group and one of the largest banks in the UMOA zone.
Who owns Coris Bank International?
Coris Holdings, controlled by founder Idrissa Nassa, holds approximately 63.6% of the bank.
Who is the CEO of Coris Bank International?
Idrissa Nassa, the bank’s founder, leads the group.
How big is Coris Bank International?
African Business’s Top 250 ranking valued it at approximately $567 million in 2025, with roughly 10% market share in the UMOA banking zone.
Is Coris Bank International publicly traded?
Yes, on the BRVM regional stock exchange.
When was Coris Bank International founded?
In January 2008.