Banca per l'Africa Orientale



Banca per l’Africa Orientale (BAO) was an early attempt to establish modern banking in the Horn of Africa at a time when Eritrea and Italian Somaliland were Italian colonies. It closed in 1923.

History
During early WW1, the Italian government wanted the creation of a local bank in the Italian colonies of eastern Africa. It was the first tentative to create a modern banking system in all colonial Africa. In 1914 the central "Bank of Italy" started to operate in Asmara and promoted the creation of private banks — like the "BAO" — in the Italian colonies. The Banca Italiana di Sconto (BIS) was a leading Italian bank that indirectly supported the BAO, but BSI failed in 1921, leading to the failure of the BAO a few years later.


 * 1917 -BIS promoted the formation of the Banca per l’Africa Orientale as a joint stock company in Rome.
 * 1918 - BAO commenced operations with head office in Massawa and a branch in Mogadishu that was the first bank in Somalia.
 * 1923 - BAO was liquidated following problems at the bank and the failure of Banca Italiana di Sconto.

In late 1923 the Banca per l'Africa Orientale was officially closed.