Banque Nationale de Mauritanie - البنك الوطني لموريتانيا

What Banque Nationale de Mauritanie - البنك الوطني لموريتانيا does

Banque Nationale de Mauritanie (BNM) is a Mauritanian commercial bank founded in 1989 through the merger of BIMA and SMB, operating under fully private capital since the Mauritanian State's full disengagement in 1993. Licensed by the Banque Centrale de Mauritanie (BCM) under Agrément N° LBM04, BNM is a Société Anonyme with Conseil d'Administration and disclosed paid-in capital of 6,000,000,000 ouguiyas, operating across 32 domestic branches with 329 employees and serving four primary customer segments: Particuliers (individuals), Professionnels (professionals), Entreprises (corporates), and Finance Islamique (Islamic finance) via its dedicated Watani sub-brand which constitutes 22 of the 32 branches. BNM was the first bank to introduce Islamic finance in Mauritania in 2008.

The bank's product suite spans current and savings accounts (classical and Islamic), payment methods (MasterCard Gimtel/Classic/Travel/Business/Platinum, checkbooks), credit products (consumer credit, investment credit, Murabaha, Qard Hassen zero-interest loans, equipment credit, cash advances, bank guarantees), treasury products (term deposits DAT), and international trade services (transfers via correspondent banking, documentary credits and collections). Digital delivery is provided through the e-BNM online banking platform for account management and transfers, and the CLICK mobile payment solution launched in 2022. BNM Academy (2019) supports internal training and Mauritanian banking education.

Revenue is generated through interest income on consumer, mortgage, investment, and business financing (including Islamic Murabaha); subscription/transaction fees on accounts, checkbooks, cards, and remittances; and fees on documentary credits, guarantees, and international transfers. Distribution is primarily branch-led (sales-led GTM with 32 branches) complemented by self-serve digital channels (e-BNM, CLICK, ATMs), with marketing focused on the website, social media (Facebook, Instagram), community/sports sponsorships (e.g., Women National Basketball Association West African tournament 2022), and sector events such as the livestock open day (May 2022, 100M MRU commitment).

Name

Banque Nationale de Mauritanie - البنك الوطني لموريتانيا

Legal name

Banque Nationale de Mauritanie

Website

https://bnm.mr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Banque Nationale de Mauritanie is a Mauritanian commercial bank serving individuals, professionals, corporates, and Islamic finance clients through 32 branches (including 22 Watani Islamic branches), generating revenue from interest income, transaction fees, and trade finance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Islamic SME & Commercial Banking (FSABAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shariah-compliant Financing Products (Murabaha, Ijara, Tawarruq, Istisna, Salam) (FSABAGAH), Islamic Transaction Banking (Cash Management & Treasury Services) (FSABAGAF), Islamic Private Banking & Wealth (FSABAGAD)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Corporate banking services
• Islamic banking products
• Mobile payment solutions
• International trade finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Nouakchott

HQ country

Mauritania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Traditional lending including consumer loans, mortgages, investment credit, and business financing generating interest income.
2. Islamic Finance Products: Murabaha (cost-plus financing), Qard Hassan (zero-interest loans), and Islamic savings accounts following Sharia principles.
3. Card and Payment Services: Mastercard Gimtel, Classic, Travel, Business, and Platinum card issuance and transaction fees.
4. Account Management and Transaction Fees: Current and savings account management, checkbooks, international transfers, documentary credits, and remittances.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Banque Nationale de Mauritanie (BNM) is a full-service commercial bank offering current and savings accounts, consumer and investment credit, MasterCard payment cards, Islamic finance products (Murabaha, Qard Hassen, Watani accounts), international trade services (transfers, documentary credits), corporate treasury and guarantee products, and digital banking via the e-BNM online platform and CLICK mobile payment solution. The bank operates 32 branches including 22 dedicated Islamic finance (Watani) branches across Mauritania.

Product overview

Banque Nationale de Mauritanie (BNM) is a full-service commercial bank offering a unified banking platform across four customer segments: Particuliers (personal), Professionnels (professional), Entreprises (corporate), and Finance islamique (Islamic banking via AL Watani). The core banking services include current and savings accounts, payment methods (MasterCard cards, checkbooks), credit products (consumer loans, investment credit, Murabaha, Qard Hassen), savings products (classical and Islamic savings), treasury management (cash advances, term deposits), and international trade services (transfers, documentary credits). Digital banking is delivered through e-BNM online platform for account management and transfers, while CLICK provides mobile payment capabilities. The bank operates 32 branches including 22 Islamic banking agencies, demonstrating a platform-plus-specialized-services architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AL Watani: Network of Islamic banking branches offering Sharia-compliant banking products and services including Murabaha, Qard Hassen, and Watani accounts
• e-BNM
• CLICK

Products and services

• Particuliers (Personal Banking) Banking services for individual retail customers including current accounts, savings accounts, consumer loans, investment credit, MasterCard cards, and digital banking access.
• Professionnels (Professional Banking) Banking services tailored for self-employed professionals and small business owners including accounts, payment methods, savings, investment credit, and business loans.
• Entreprises (Corporate Banking) Corporate banking services including account management, treasury management, investment financing, cash flow facilities, equipment credit, guarantees, and international trade services.
• Finance Islamique (AL Watani Islamic Banking) Sharia-compliant banking products and services including Murabaha financing, Qard Hassen zero-interest loans, and Watani current accounts, delivered through 22 dedicated branches.
• MasterCard Cards Range of MasterCard debit and credit cards including Gimtel, Classic, Travel, Business, and Platinum variants for personal and business customers.
• Murabaha Financing Islamic-compliant cost-plus financing product approved by a Sharia committee, enabling customers to purchase goods with deferred payment.
• Qard Hassen Zero-interest loan product for purchases, addressing short-term financial needs while complying with Islamic principles.
• Compte Watani Islamic banking current account enabling all Islamic banking operations while respecting Sharia rules.
• Epargne Classique (Classical Savings) Traditional savings account offering competitive interest rates for long-term wealth building.
• Epargne Islamique (Islamic Savings) Sharia-compliant savings account offering secure savings solutions respecting Islamic principles.
• Crédit d'Investissement (Investment Credit) Investment credit for real estate acquisition, construction, renovation, and professional equipment purchases.
• Crédit à la Consommation (Consumer Credit) Consumer credit for financing personal projects, vehicle purchases, real estate renovation, and household appliances.
• Crédit Oxygène Short-term credit for specific occasions such as back-to-school, Ramadan, and religious celebrations.
• Carnet de Chèque (Checkbook) Checkbook service available with 72-hour delivery through e-BNM online ordering.
• Facilité de Caisse (Cash Advance Facility) Short-term credit facility to help businesses manage cash flow gaps for supplier payments and salary disbursements.
• Dépôt à Terme (DAT) - Term Deposit Term deposit product with returns based on subscription duration, allowing placement of excess cash on a named account for predetermined periods with renewal options.
• Les Cautions (Bank Guarantees) Bank guarantee service where the bank substitutes for client in case of default, ensuring payment obligations are met.
• Les Crédits d'Équipements (Equipment Financing) Equipment financing to help businesses acquire necessary equipment for operations.
• Les Crédits d'Aménagements (Renovation Financing) Renovation and improvement financing for business premises and facilities.
• Transferts Internationaux (International Transfers) International transfer services utilizing correspondent banking network for simple and rapid cross-border payments.
• Crédit Documentaire et Remise Documentaire Documentary credit and documentary collection services facilitating import-export transactions with international trading partners.
• e-BNM Online Banking Online and mobile banking platform enabling account balance consultation, transaction history, PDF/Excel statement downloads, internal and external transfers, card and checkbook ordering, and payment opposition.
• CLICK Mobile Payment Mobile payment solution launched in 2022 enabling digital transactions for the Mauritanian market.

Quantifiable outcome

• First bank to introduce Islamic finance in Mauritania

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Livestock Sector PromoterscoreOthers · 30 May 2022Partnership to provide 100,000,000 MRU financing to livestock project promoters, with products including Al Mounami and Al Mara'i livestock feed accounts.
• Barkéwol CommunityminorOthers · 14 March 2022Opening of first bank branch in Barkéwol region to promote financial inclusion and serve local population banking needs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ecobank Transnational Incorporated: Ecobank is a pan-African banking group present across West and Central Africa with corporate, commercial, and retail banking offerings. It competes with BNM for regional corporate and trade finance relationships and represents a broader incumbent in the West African banking space.
• Attijariwafa bank (Mauritania operations): Attijariwafa bank is a large Moroccan banking group with a pan-African footprint including a Mauritanian subsidiary. It offers retail, corporate, and investment banking at much greater scale, positioning it as a broad incumbent competitor for larger Mauritanian corporates and trade finance.
• Al Baraka Banking Group: Al Baraka is an established Islamic banking group operating across multiple countries in the Middle East and Africa, including North and West Africa. It is comparable to BNM's AL Watani network as a multi-country Islamic banking competitor with broader product and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Banque Populaire de Mauritanie (BPM): BPM is one of Mauritania's largest commercial banks, offering retail, professional, and corporate banking across a multi-branch domestic network. It is the closest direct competitor to BNM, serving the same Mauritanian customer base with comparable deposit, lending, and card products.
• Banque Islamique de Mauritanie (BIM): BIM is a Mauritanian bank focused on Islamic finance, offering Sharia-compliant deposit and financing products. It is the most direct competitor to BNM's AL Watani Islamic banking division in the Mauritanian Sharia-compliant segment.
• Banque pour le Commerce et l'Industrie (BCI Mauritanie): BCI Mauritanie is a full-service Mauritanian commercial bank with a multi-branch footprint offering retail, SME, and corporate banking. It directly competes with BNM for Mauritanian deposits, lending, and trade finance volumes.
• Société Générale Mauritanie: Société Générale Mauritanie is the local subsidiary of Société Générale group, offering retail, corporate, and trade finance in Mauritania. It is a meaningful competitor to BNM, particularly for corporate banking and correspondent banking relationships.
• Générale de Banque de Mauritanie (GBM): GBM is a Mauritanian commercial bank offering retail and corporate banking products through a domestic branch network. It competes head-to-head with BNM in the same Mauritanian retail, professional, and corporate banking segments.
• Banque Al Wava Mauritanienne (BAM): BAM is a Mauritanian bank with Islamic banking positioning, offering Sharia-compliant products in the same domestic market. It overlaps directly with BNM's AL Watani network for Islamic deposits and Murabaha-style financing.

Regional players

• Banque Sahélo-Saharienne pour l'Investissement et le Commerce (BSIC): BSIC is a regional bank operating across multiple Sahelian and West African countries, including Mauritania, with Islamic and conventional banking offerings. It is comparable to BNM as a regional player with overlap in both conventional and Sharia-compliant banking segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookweb.facebook.com/Banque.Nationale.de.Mauritanie
• Instagraminstagram.com/banque.nationale.de.mauritanie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/banque-nationale-de-la-mauritanie

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Banque Nationale de Mauritanie - البنك الوطني لموريتانيا