Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), a public limited liability company, was established as a bank holding company in 1985 under a private sector initiative spearheaded by the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry with the support of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In the early 1980’s foreign and state-owned banks dominated the banking industry in West Africa. Commercial banks in West Africa owned and managed by the African private sector were a rarity. Its founders created ETI with the objective of filling this vacuum.

Ecobank is committed to economic development across sub-Sahara Africa. In October 1985 the first Ecobank affiliate opened in Togo.

Despite the political upheaval of the 1980’s in Africa, and against all odds, the Ecobank Group opened branches in five African countries in 1988. From 1997 to 2001 the group’s coverage increased from five to twelve countries.

Today, the Ecobank Group is a world-class institution and a torchbearer for Africa. With a presence in 35 sub-Sahara African countries, the Ecobank brand is synonymous with banking in Africa.