The average interest rate charged by banks in Niger rose to 8.97% in September from 8.20% in August, the regional central bank BCEAO said in its monthly statistics bulletin published November 6. That was the highest of the eight West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) countries, against a union average of 6.74% on new loans. Companies paid 8.30% on average and households 9.86%.
Analysis: Niger's rate was 2.2 points above the union average and 0.9 points above Guinea-Bissau's 8.06%, the next highest, by our calculation. Monthly averages swing with the mix of loans granted. However, the gap with the rest of the union is wide. Banks paid depositors 6.57% on average, leaving a 2.4-point spread. High lending rates are consistent with a banking system in which nearly a quarter of loans are non-performing, as the same bulletin shows, though BCEAO does not link the two. October rates are due in BCEAO's next bulletin, expected in early December.
Source: BCEAO, BCEAO, Bulletin mensuel des statistiques, septembre 2026, September 2026