NEW YORK, September 24, 2025—Seventeen African governments today committed to reforms and actionable plans to expand electricity access as part of Mission 300—an ambitious partnership led by the World Bank Group and African Development Bank Group that aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
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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
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.
Continue readingThe World Bank and Blockchain: A New Era of Transparency
Story Highlights
- FundsChain, a blockchain-based platform, enables the World Bank to improve traceability, accountability, and streamline operations when tracking the use of funds.
- Key features include tamper-proof digital records, end-to-end tracking of project funds, granting project partners immediate access to transaction records, and the use of digitization to enhance financial management practices.
- The solution has been successfully tested in 13 projects across 10 countries, earned industry recognition and by June 2026, it is expected to cover approximately 250 projects in developing countries.
Digital technology is driving the future of jobs
A farmer in Kenya uses mobile apps to get real-time harvesting tips, check market prices, and connect directly with buyers and lenders. A woman in Indonesia takes meal orders and arranges deliveries through social media. A small innkeeper in Jamaica lists rooms on booking platforms and manages reservations online. A street vendor in Dakar sells handmade jewelry across Africa using just her smartphone. And in Manila, a university student teaches math to high schoolers in remote areas via an online e-learning platform.
Continue readingAccelerating Investment: Challenges and Policies
Developing economies have an acute need for higher investment. Investment is the engine that builds productive capacity, modernizes infrastructure, sets the stage for job growth, and advances countries toward development and climate goals. Yet as development needs have expanded, investment growth has been in a deep slump—a call to action for policy makers, investors, and development practitioners.
Continue readingCan AI give small scale producers the right advice?
The World Bank has long recognized the critical importance of agricultural extension services – ranging from training and data to technology transfer – which make up the second-largest share of its agriculture portfolio. Yet farmers have often been slow to adopt the very methods and tools these services are designed to deliver—limiting their own productivity and the sector’s potential to create jobs.
That’s in large part because they depend on limited numbers of extension agents: the field advisors responsible for providing them with data, training and advice. Most countries have just one extension agent for every 1,000 to 2,000 farmers.
Continue readingHow an Urban Program in Ethiopia Delivered More than a Million Jobs
Highlights
- With World Bank support, over 1.15 million jobs were created as a result of the Ethiopia Urban Institutional and Infrastructure Development Program (UIIDP).
- Infrastructure investments in 117 cities helped improve living conditions for more than 6.6 million people, fueling employment and economic growth.
- Strengthened local governance and financial systems enabled cities to plan, deliver, and sustain job-generating urban development, even amid conflict and pandemic disruptions.
The Global Sanitation Crisis: Pathways for Urgent Action
The Global Sanitation Crisis: Pathways for Urgent Action report examines the risks that poor sanitation poses to people, economic growth, and the environment. It outlines practical steps that cities and countries can take to accelerate progress toward universal access to resilient, safely managed sanitation—promoting healthy communities, sustainable environments and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, thriving economies, resilient cities, job creation, and greater human productivity.
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Delivering Jobs for People Living in Poverty
Evidence from India, Niger, and Zambia shows lasting income gains and strong returns from economic inclusion programs— generating up to $3.8 in benefits for every $1 invested within 10 years.
Now more than ever, people need better access to jobs. In emerging markets, 1.2 billion young people will reach working age over the next decade—yet only 420 million jobs are projected to be created. That leaves hundreds of millions, many of them from poor and vulnerable communities, without a clear pathway to a stable income, dignity, and opportunity.
Continue readingNew World Bank Operation Links Fiscal Sustainability and Forest Conservation in Amazonas
WASHINGTON, DC, August 28, 2025 – The World Bank Board of Directors has approved a new operation to boost the environmental governance of the State of Amazonas by enhancing its fiscal sustainability, and mobilizing finance for forest conservation and a low-carbon bioeconomy. This will provide more economic opportunities and jobs for the State’s population, especially Indigenous Peoples, smallholders, and traditional forest-dwelling populations.
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Netherlands for the World Bank 
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