What happens after Bakari Traoré’s OHADA reform? The debate shaping West African business law

When Bakari Traoré began questioning West Africa’s commercial legal framework, few could have predicted the scale of the debate that would follow. Today, the Ivorian jurist’s three-decade push to modernise business law has generated both praise and scrutiny, raising a central question: what comes next for a region still absorbing the impact of his reforms?

The legacy in question: a quiet reformer under the spotlight

Traoré is not a household name, yet his fingerprints are everywhere in West Africa’s business law. A business lawyer, tax specialist, attorney, and consultant in governance, CSR, and ethics, he has spent thirty years helping build the legal foundations on which companies across the region operate. His influence is measured less by titles than by the institutions he has helped reshape.

His work has triggered a broader conversation about how legal modernisation happens in the region—often far from public view, driven by technocrats rather than politicians.

How the reform began: from a national alert to a regional overhaul

The story starts in the late 1990s. At the time, Traoré—holder of a doctorate in business law and economic law—flagged to his minister a glaring problem: the texts governing commercial companies were obsolete, rooted in colonial-era laws dating back to 1867 and 1925.

That diagnosis sparked a national project that quickly took on a regional dimension: the reform of OHADA. What began as a technical fix evolved into a sweeping legal transformation with consequences for businesses, investors, and governments across West Africa.

The fallout: what the reform changed and what it left open

The modernisation of OHADA rules has reshaped how companies are formed, governed, and dissolved. It has also forced a wider reckoning with the pace of legal change in the region. Supporters argue that Traoré’s work brought West African business law into the modern era, making it more predictable and attractive to investment.

Critics and observers, meanwhile, point to unresolved questions. Does the reform go far enough? Are the new rules being applied consistently across member states? And how will the next generation of jurists build on—or challenge—the framework Traoré helped design?

What comes next for West African business law

The debate now extends beyond legal circles. As businesses adapt to the new rules and governments consider further changes, the conversation is shifting from what was reformed to how it will be implemented and enforced.

For Traoré, the legacy is already in motion. But the real test lies ahead: whether the reforms he championed can evolve to meet the demands of a changing regional economy—and whether the quiet architect’s vision will hold up under public scrutiny.