Tag Archives: West Africa

West Africa’s rice imperative: why investing in the value chain is the most important bet we can make

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Every year, West Africa sends more than $3.5 billion abroad to buy rice — a staple food that millions of people across the region consume every day. Yet, this is a crop that grows and thrives in the region.

Expanding domestic production is a major opportunity to strengthen food security, create jobs, boost rural incomes, and mitigate exposure to volatile global commodity markets.

Woman walking through rice fields in the province of Bubanza, Burundi. Photo: Sarah Farhat/World Bank
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Tackling the Pressing Challenge of Defying Drought in West Africa – An Africa Water Center is Established to Strengthen Capacity in the Water Sector

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OUAGADOUGOU, September 30, 2025 – A two-day High-Level Forum on Defying Drought (D2) in West Africa concluded today in Ouagadougou with a strong commitment to address the pressing challenges of drought in the region, amid the broader context of climate change and population growth. Senior policymakers from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal, joined by technical experts from Morocco and Brazil, as well as regional and international institutions and development partners, came together to advance coordinated and practical solutions to reduce drought-related losses and build climate resilience across the Sahel. Technical sessions showcased regional and global best practices and facilitated the co-design of a roadmap outlining short-, medium-, and long-term policy actions to strengthen drought resilience across West Africa.

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Unlocking Futures: How the IDA Private Sector Window Is Creating Jobs Where They Are Needed Most

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • By leveraging IFC and MIGA business platforms, the IDA PSW creates an opportunity for the strategic use of public resources to catalyze private investment, making it possible for companies and industries to operate in high-risk, fragile, and conflict-affected settings.
  • A total of $5.4 billion from the IDA PSW has catalyzed over $31 billion in commercial investments in low-income and fragile countries and is expected to create 3 million jobs, provide 4 million additional loans to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and expand digital connectivity to 31 million subscribers.
  • From agribusiness in Mozambique to telecom infrastructure in West Africa and clean water access in Haiti, IDA PSW-supported investments are building the ecosystems needed to sustain jobs, boost resilience, and spark inclusive economic growth.
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Economic Integration in West Africa Starts with Road Corridors

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • African countries depend on major road corridors, key drivers of economic activity.
  • Extensive efforts have been made in recent years to remove trade barriers and foster regional integration, but there is still some way to go.
  • The World Bank has stepped up its support for regional integration, which currently accounts for 13% of its Africa portfolio.

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Supporting a Green, Resilient and Inclusive Recovery on West Africa’s Coast

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In Gbekon, Benin, summers come with flooding from the Mono River. Erosion of the nearby supporting-green-resilient-and-inclusive-recovery-west-africas-coast-1140x500coast, along with more unpredictable rainfall, have made these floods worse over time. Each flood cuts access to the only road connecting people to farms, jobs, and public health services and put thousands of lives and livelihoods at risk. In 2020, the World Bank-financed West Africa Coastal Areas Program (WACA) built dikes and instituted other measures to manage river flows and prevent flooding, with the result  that more than 3,600 households were less exposed to coastal erosion and flooding.

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