AFLI

Executive Certificate · Grand-Bassam · 2027

From cowrie to code.

Alternative data, AI and cash-flow lending: the bilingual programme for Africa's banking and fintech leaders.

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154banks and credit institutions in WAEMU
56licensed payment and e-money firms
8countries, one market

Source: WAMU Banking Commission, lists as of 29 June 2026.

Why now

SMEs have data. They need a banker who can read it.

In WAEMU, payments went digital in a few years. SME lending still relies on collateral most businesses do not have.

6

SME guarantee funds for 137 banks across WAEMU. Collateral-led lending has hit its limit.

38

payment institution licences in 2025-2026, and no new lender. Payments went digital; credit has not.

59

bank-telco mobile money partnerships. Banks already hold the data; they lack the method.

Map of the 8 WAEMU countries with the number of banks per country: Senegal 29, Côte d'Ivoire 29, Burkina Faso 17, Mali 14, Niger 14, Benin 14, Togo 14, Guinea-Bissau 6.
The 8 WAEMU countries and their licensed banks. Abidjan and Grand-Bassam at the heart of the market.

The promise

Leave with a roadmap, not just a certificate.

Three days to move from collateral-led lending to lending on what SMEs actually do: their receipts, payments and invoices.

  1. 01A clear view of digital banking architecture: APIs, onboarding, fintech partnerships.
  2. 02A method to identify and assess internal and external alternative data.
  3. 03A working command of algorithmic scoring, explainable AI and model risk.
  4. 04Tools to design cash-flow-based SME products and measure their unit economics.
  5. 05A 12-month action plan for your institution, presented to a panel.

Programmes

Three formats, one goal: data-driven SME lending.

Enrolment 2027

Executive Certificate in Digital Banking

Three residential days to decide and launch.

  • VenueGrand-Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire
  • Length3 days, 21 to 24 hours
  • Cohort25 to 30 executives
  • Frequency2 editions a year
  • LanguagesFrench and English

FCFA 2,500,000

USD 4,300 · per participant

Get the brochure

Certificate jointly issued with an international academic partner, subject to agreement.

Interest list · 2028

Executive Master in Digital Banking

12 to 15 months to lead the transformation.

  • VenueAbidjan + online
  • Format4 five-day residencies
  • Credits60 ECTS
  • Cohort25 to 30 executives
  • EntryBachelor's + 3 to 5 years' experience

FCFA 9,000,000

USD 15,400 · full programme

Join the interest list

Degree jointly issued with an accredited partner, subject to agreement.

For institutions

Custom programme

The programme, rebuilt for your teams.

  • VenueYour premises or Grand-Bassam
  • Length2 to 5 days
  • Group20 to 30 people
  • ContentCertificate modules, adapted
  • LanguageYours

On request

Banking groups, regulators, operators

Contact us

Prices in FCFA; US dollar equivalent at the reference rate of FCFA 585 to USD 1. The FCFA price prevails.

Certificate curriculum

Nine modules, three days, one decision.

Short expert inputs, real cases, a credit lab and your roadmap, presented on the last day.

Day 1

Transforming the bank

  1. The SME opportunityEconomics of serving SMEs, collateral-led versus cash-flow lending, segments.
  2. Digital banking architectureCore banking, APIs, cloud, payment rails, interoperability, build or buy.
  3. Digital onboarding and customer experiencee-KYC, business verification, consent, fraud.
  4. Institutional case studyA bank or fintech walks through its transformation.
Day 2

Reading data, deciding with AI

  1. Alternative dataTransactions, POS, wallets, invoices, anchor buyers, telecom; data rights and consent.
  2. Cash-flow underwriting and scoringCash-flow reconstruction, seasonality, affordability, thin-file customers.
  3. AI and automated credit decisionsModel lifecycle, explainability, bias, drift, human oversight.
  4. Credit labIn teams: an SME file with 12 months of data. Decision, limit, controls.
Day 3

Launching

  1. Digital SME productsWorking capital, merchant advances, invoice finance, embedded finance, economics.
  2. Partnerships and ecosystemsBank-fintech models, data sharing, integration, due diligence.
  3. Regulation and responsible innovationData protection, cybersecurity, AML/CFT, outsourcing, responsible AI.
  4. Your 12-month roadmapUse case, data, partners, risks, KPIs, budget, milestones.
50%12-month roadmap
30%Team case study
20%Participation

Proposed standard: 90% attendance and an overall score of 60%, subject to approval by the academic partner.

See the Master's structure (60 ECTS)
10 ECTSDigital banking foundations
10 ECTSDigital onboarding and alternative data
10 ECTSCash-flow underwriting and AI scoring
10 ECTSProducts, ecosystems and RegTech
5 ECTSFintech and credit sandbox lab
15 ECTSApplied thesis defended before a panel

Who it is for

Built for the people who make credit decisions.

Commercial banks

Heads of SME, digital, credit, risk, data and transformation.

Microfinance

Managing directors, credit directors, digital finance leads.

Fintechs and payments

CEOs, CTOs, product, data and partnership leads.

Mobile money operators

Financial services, merchant services and data leads.

Regulators

Digital finance, inclusion, payments, supervision and data protection.

DFIs and investors

Financial inclusion, SME finance and technical assistance.

Our approach

Learning by deciding.

A credit lab

In teams, you assess an SME file with 12 months of synthetic data: account, POS, wallet and invoices.

African cases

WAEMU banks and fintechs share their choices, failures and results.

An assessed roadmap

Half of the assessment is your 12-month plan, presented to a panel.

Truly bilingual

Materials in French and English, bilingual faculty, interpretation for specialist sessions.

The venue

Grand-Bassam: three days to focus.

About forty kilometres from Abidjan, between the UNESCO World Heritage historic town and the VITIB technology zone.

A residential conference hotel: reliable connectivity, breakout rooms, accommodation on site. The exact venue will be announced with the dates.

Faculty

The faculty, senior leaders from WAEMU banks and fintechs alongside international professors, will be announced in spring 2027.

Partners

Let's build tomorrow's SME lending together.

The programme is being developed with an international academic partner, to be announced in early 2027. Banks, operators, fintechs, technology providers and development finance institutions are invited to join.

Executive Certificate, per edition

  • Strategic Partner
  • Gold Partner
  • Supporting Partner
  • Knowledge Partner (in kind)

Executive Master, per cohort

  • Founding Strategic Partner
  • Corporate Cohort Partner
  • DFI / Inclusion Partner (scholarships)
  • Technology Sandbox Partner (in kind)

Partners play no role in admissions, assessment or certificate awards.

Get the partnership pack

FAQ

Your questions

What will I receive?

A certificate jointly issued with an international academic partner, currently under agreement. The partner will be named as soon as the agreement is signed.

What language is the programme taught in?

French and English. Materials are available in both languages, with interpretation for specialist sessions.

When is the first edition?

In 2027 in Grand-Bassam. The date will be announced in the first quarter of 2027; pre-registered participants will hear first.

How much does it cost?

FCFA 2,500,000 (USD 4,300) for the Certificate and FCFA 9,000,000 (USD 15,400) for the Master. The FCFA price prevails. Accommodation terms will be confirmed when enrolment opens.

Can my employer pay?

Yes. The invoice can be issued to your institution.

Do I need to code?

Not for the Certificate: the credit lab is guided. The Master includes supported modelling workshops.

Are scholarships available?

Scholarships are planned for the Master through DFI / Inclusion partners, with priority for women in digital finance and regulators.

Is the exercise data real?

No. All exercises use synthetic data; no customer data is used.

2027 edition

Get ready for 2027.

Get the brochure, pre-register your team or propose a partnership. We reply within five working days.