BOAD grants to Mali two loans involving

Bamako, 9 April 2015. Two loan agreements were signed by and between Mr. Christian Adovelande, President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and Mr. Mamadou Igor Diarra, Minister of Economy and Finance of Mali.

Under the first loan agreement, BOAD committed itself to contribute to the tune of XOF20 billion to the road infrastructure development programme (PAIRS) in Mali. This programme would help improve mobility in the cities of Bamako, Ségou and Koulikoro and reduce the travel time on the Bamako-Koulikoro, Sikasso-Koutiala and Bamako-Ségou roads. In addition to its direct contribution to the programme, the Government of Mali entrusted to BOAD a mandate to mobilize additional funding for the programme.

BOAD granted XOF10 billion for the implementation of the irrigation scheme in the Bani basin and Selingué (PDI-BS). This would make it possible to increase on a sustainable basis, rice production as well as other agro-sylvo-pastoral and fish production, with improved revenue and socio-economic environment in the project area. It would further contribute to increasing food security in the country through additional annual production of 52,240 tons of paddy rice, 3,080 tons of market-garden products and 880 tons of fish.

For a cumulative amount of XOF30 billion, the two loan agreements brought the Bank’s total commitments in Mali, all sectors combined, to XOF426.6 billion.

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