#Ivory Coast returns to sovereign #sukuk market, after #Togo debut

Ivory Coast plans to complete a sale of 150 billion CFA francs ($263 million) worth of Islamic bonds, following Togo's debut sale of sovereign sukuk launched last month. The two West African nations join Senegal in tapping the market for sukuk, expanding the use of Islamic financing options outside the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The Ivory Coast will sell the 7-year sukuk using ijara with the subscription period closing on Aug. 31. This represents the second phase of a 300 billion CFA franc sukuk programme set up last year by the Ivory Coast. Togo plans to complete the sale of its sukuk later this week, aiming to raise 150 billion CFA franc with a 10-year maturity and a 6.5% yield. The lead arranger for both the Togo and Ivory Coast sukuk is the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD).