AFG’s proposed Chad bank takeover awaits regulatory approval

Atlantic Financial Group plans to take a majority stake in Banque de l’Habitat du Tchad, according to an October 20 announcement by Chad’s finance ministry. Shareholders approved related restructuring and recapitalization at an extraordinary meeting in N’Djamena on October 14. Neither the stake’s exact size nor the transaction value has been disclosed. The ministry says the operation should strengthen equity, reform governance and expand the bank’s capacity to finance the economy, particularly housing. Completion remains subject to regulatory procedures, including approval by the Central African Banking Commission, COBAC. BHT was established in 2015 with CFA10 billion in capital and began operations in July 2017. Its original ownership was split between the state, with 50%, and the national social security fund and state hydrocarbons company, with 25% each. AFG, founded by Koné Dossongui, already operates in Cameroon and Gabon. The proposed purchase forms part of Chad’s banking-sector divestment plans, rather than a completed transfer of ownership. The wider divestment programme predates this announcement. An August 2025 IMF report said the authorities had agreed to sell both BHT and Banque agricole du Chari, with ownership transfers requiring COBAC approval and completion targeted before the end of December 2026. Ecofin also cites BEAC's report on 2023 payment services, published in October 2025: Chad's strict banking penetration rate was 2.85%, against 11.68% for CEMAC. These are historical indicators, not a measurement of the proposed takeover's effects. AFG entered Guinea's banking market in June 2026; Chad would become its third Central African market if this transaction closes. Nexus analysis: Regulatory approval and the eventual ownership terms are the next tests; a larger regional footprint alone would not establish improved access to housing loans.