World Bank Group President David Malpass to Visit Niger and Togo
WASHINGTON —World Bank Group President David Malpass will make official visits to Niger and Togo from March 29 to April 1, 2023, to discuss regional and global priorities including strengthening security and peace, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, food security, energy access, and the importance of education, among other issues.
In Niger from March 29 to 31, President Malpass will meet with Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of Niger, and key stakeholders and partners of the World Bank Group to discuss the country’s development agenda and the World Bank Group’s support to the country and the Sahel region. President Malpass will deliver the positioning speech for the World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings scheduled for April 10-16 in Washington, DC. The speech will be hosted by the University of Niamey.
In Togo from March 31 to April 1, President Malpass will discuss strategic areas of engagement in Togo with Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo, members of the government and partners. Discussions will cover education, the agriculture sector, including the emergency response to food insecurity in West Africa, digital development, and social protection. President Malpass will also discuss the efforts to build resilience and inclusive growth in the Gulf of Guinea countries.
“Promoting security and peace in the region, strengthening education, and building resilience to offset devastating climate costs are critical to the region’s growth and development. I am looking forward to discussions in Niger and Togo that will focus on these important topics and ways in which the World Bank Group can further support poverty reduction, growth, education and stability,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass.
President Malpass will be accompanied by Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa, and Sérgio Pimenta, Regional Vice President for Africa, International Finance Corporation.
The World Bank Group is a long-standing partner of Western and Central Africa. Between April 2020 and up to its last completed fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, the World Bank committed an unprecedented total of $28.5 billion for 234 projects covering key priority sectors. In fiscal year 2022, IFC made $9.4 billion in investments across 36 countries in Africa, its largest ever annual commitment for the continent.
Over the past ten years, the World Bank Group has more than quadrupled its resources in the Sahel and mobilized more than $8.5 billion between 2020 and 2023, making it the leading contributor to development in the region.