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The West African Economic and Monetary Union (known in French as Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine, or UEMOA) is a regional organization established on January 10, 1994, in Dakar, Senegal, to promote economic and monetary integration among eight West African nations.
The union was created through a treaty signed by seven French-speaking countries—Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo—replacing the earlier West African Monetary Union. Guinea-Bissau later joined on May 2, 1997, becoming the eighth member and the only non-Francophone state in the bloc. The union's administrative headquarters are located in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, while its monetary policy and common currency are managed by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in Dakar, Senegal
Focuses on strengthening secure and efficient border control systems, promoting integrated approaches to regulate cross-border movements of people and goods, and combating transnational threats such as smuggling, trafficking, and terrorism in developing nations and border regions.
Entails initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, strengthen competitive markets, and expand domestic and international trade opportunities.