Hello, I'm Tamison Ford. Welcome to Business Daily from the BBC. A colonial relic or a credible, stable currency.

We're talking about the West African CFA Frank, soon to be ditched and renamed the Echo.

It's an evolution in the monetary policy of our region. We're going to see more

fluidity, more flexibility in the trade. But some businesses say without the Anglophone countries,

there's no point in scrapping the CFA. So if they didn't join for us, the difference between

Echo and CFA will be zero.

The ECHO currency is due to roll out in July, but will it make the deadline?

That's all in Business Daily from the BBC.

West Africa already has a single currency, much like the euro.

Eight countries belong to it, mostly former French colonies.

Over the last 30 years, the aim has always been to bring in a new currency

for all 15 West African states to boost trade in the region.

But plans have been dogged with delays.

Then in December, French president, Macron and Ivorian President Alessan Wattera made a surprise announcement.

The echo will be launched this July, but only for the eight countries currently using the

CFA Frank. The major elements are that we want to cut the link with the operations account.

So the reserves will go back to our central bank.

This will allow us to move progressively to the eco-arrangement.

There are conditions. We have conversions criteria which are to be met. But what about Nigeria, the region's superpower?

We'll be finding out about that in a moment. But first, what do people who have been using

the CFA Frank for decades think about a new currency?

The BBC's Ebrin Bru is in Abidjan, the economic capital of Ivory Coast,

...