The official language of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) is French. The BCEAO is a regional central bank that serves eight member states in West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. The BCEAO was established in 1962 and is headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. The BCEAO’s mission is to promote economic and financial stability in its member states. It does this by issuing the common currency, the West African CFA franc, and by regulating the banking system. The BCEAO also provides financial services to its member states, such as loans and foreign exchange.
French is the official language of the BCEAO because it is the lingua franca of West Africa. French was introduced to the region during the colonial period, and it is still the language of government and education in many countries. English is also widely spoken in West Africa, but it is not an official language of the BCEAO. Arabic is spoken in some parts of West Africa, but it is not an official language of the BCEAO either. Hindi is not spoken in West Africa at all.