Regional investment in West Africa to benefit from EUR 60m European Investment Bank loan

The European Investment Bank, the European Union’s long-term lending institution, has formally agreed to provide a EUR 60 million loan to enhance public and private sector operations by the West African Development Bank (BOAD). Finance contracts for the project were signed at the European Investment Bank headquarters in Luxembourg by Philippe Maystadt, President of the European Investment Bank and Christian Adovelande, President of the West African Development Bank.

The European Investment Bank funding will focus on supporting regional projects that promote economic integration in West Africa, including environmental schemes or renewable energy. The West African Development Bank is the development finance institution of the West African Economic Monetary Union (WEAMU), with operations in eight West African member states Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Mali and Guinea-Bissau.

“The European Investment Bank is pleased to continue its strong and long-standing relationship with the West African Development Bank. Through this fifth credit line we will contribute both funding to benefit private and public sector projects across the region and specialist technical assistance on key environmental issues and expertise.” said Plutarchos Sakellaris, European Investment Bank Vice President responsible for lending operations in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific.

“The West African Development Bank is committed to alleviating poverty and promoting balanced development and regional integration of its member states. This operation with the European Investment Bank will make a significant contribution to funding projects essential for economic growth in West Africa and improving technical operations in specialised fields.” said Christian Adovelande, President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD).

This will be the fifth operation with the West African Development Bank funded by the European Investment Bank since the two institutions first cooperated in 1980. Before today’s agreement a total of EUR 62 million has been provided to the West African Development Bank by the European Investment Bank.

Under this initiative a EUR 60 million credit line will be used to fund significant public and private investment in energy, industrial, transport, agribusiness, tourism and other sectors. Individual projects will be able to borrow up to EUR 5 million under favourable conditions. Private sector projects will be able to access funds at market rates. Public infrastructure projects, with a regional or environmental focus, will be able to benefit from an interest rate subsidy, under regular arrangements to alleviate borrowing costs for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries in the region. European Investment Bank funding will cover 50% of project costs. The project is expected to reduce the shortfall for scarce long-term investment funding and a strong pipeline of eligible projects has already been identified.

The EU-Africa Trust Fund will provide EUR 900,000 for dedicated technical assistance to develop specialist environmental expertise and evaluate sustainable development projects in West Africa under the programme. The European Investment Bank will also increase its stake in the West African Development Bank up to EUR 6.1 million.

This operation compliments additional resources recently provided to the West African Development Bank by the African Development Bank, French Development Agency, India and China.

A previous loan to the West African Development Bank for EUR 25 million was signed in 2004 and was fully disbursed within three years. The included funding for improved drinking water supply in Niger and Benin, expansion of power projects in Benin and Senegal, and rehabilitation of the Port of Dakar.

Notes for Editors

• The European Investment Bank is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, whose shareholders are the 27 European Union member states and the world’s largest multinational financial institution. Last year lent EUR 72 billion for 460 projects around the world, including over EUR 3.3 billion for projects in Africa.
• The European Investment Bank has been active across Africa for over 40 years. The European Investment Bank operates in sub-Saharan Africa under the Cotonou Agreement and supports regional development and infrastructure that contributes to economic growth and achieving Millennium Development Goals.
• The West African Development Bank (BOAD) is the common development finance institution of the Member States of the West African Monetary Union (WAMU). It was established by Agreement signed on 14 November 1973 and became operational in 1976. Its member states include: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
• By a treaty of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) signed on 10 January 1994 and which became effective on 1 August 1994, BOAD is a specialised and self-governing institution of the Union. It contributes “in full independence towards the achievement of the WAEMU’s objectives“ without prejudice to the objectives assigned to it under the WAMU Treaty.
• BOAD is an international public institution whose purpose, as provided for under Article 2 of its Articles of Association, is to promote a balanced development of its member states and foster economic integration within West Africa by financing priority development projects.

Media contacts

• West African Development Bank (BOAD): www.boad.org