Why Africa’s central banks are warming to Islamic finance

Banking hall at a Nairobi-based Islamic lender.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

African central banks are stepping up efforts to promote Islamic finance as part of a broader push to boost financial inclusion and diversify funding for productive investments, a new study shows.

Islamic finance operates under Shariah law, which prohibits interest (riba) and emphasises risk- and profit-sharing among parties to a transaction.