Rothschild's Gatien Bon, ⁠who advised the West African country on its international bond sale, described the sukuk issuance as a "turning point" for ⁠African sovereign ‌borrowers. Sukuk issuance so far in 2026 has exceeded $580 million, largely through Benin's $500 million debut, Al-Natoor said. Nigeria, which has issued a local-currency sukuk, is among the countries exploring dollar-denominated Islamic finance solutions, with President Bola Tinubu seeking legislative approval for an inaugural international sukuk last year. Senegal has also said its exploring both local and international sukuk markets. Many low-income countries lack legal and regulatory frameworks to facilitate sukuk issuance, ‌Kearse said, adding that ⁠ALSF assists governments in addressing these gaps.