External financing in Mali in 2026: the AfDB, BOAD and World Bank loans ratified
The major external loans adopted or ratified in Mali in 2026, according to the Council of Ministers statements and the Official Journal: World Bank (IDA), African Development Bank, West African Development Bank. Amounts, purposes, and what it means for businesses.
A good part of Mali's major projects is financed by lender loans: the World Bank (IDA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD). Each agreement must be ratified: the Council of Ministers reports on it, and the text appears in the Official Journal. Here are the loans we found for 2026, what they finance, and what it means for a business.
Please note: this list gathers the agreements we found in the 2026 Council of Ministers statements and the Official Journal. It is not exhaustive.
Key points (texts checked on 19 October 2026)
- Seven loans found, totalling about 273 billion FCFA.
- The largest, from the World Bank (IDA), supports free healthcare for women and children: 83.4 billion.
- Three finance electricity, including the 225 kV North Loop around Bamako (AfDB, 34.3 billion).
- A BOAD loan of 48 billion finances school infrastructure.
The loans found in 2026
| Project | Lender | Amount (FCFA) | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency access to essential services: keeping health services running, free healthcare for women and children, hospital running costs, vaccines and essential medicines, education grants | IDA (World Bank), agreement signed in Bamako on 1 April 2026 | 83,437,730,400 | Council of Ministers of 8 April 2026 |
| School infrastructure, phase 1: building, renovating and equipping schools | BOAD, agreement signed in Ouagadougou on 3 July 2026 | 48,000,000,000 | Council of 17 July 2026 |
| 50 MWp solar plant with storage, at Tiétiguila (Koulikoro region) | BOAD, agreement signed in Ouagadougou on 3 July 2026 | 44,368,000,000 | Council of 17 July 2026 |
| 225 kV North Loop around Bamako (PBNB) | AfDB, agreements signed in Bamako on 25 February 2026 | 34,286,605,500 | decree no. 2026-0452/PT-RM of 31 July 2026 |
| Community Recovery and Stabilisation Project for the Sahel (additional financing): resilience of communities in the Mopti, Timbuktu, Gao, Ménaka, Douentza and Bandiagara regions | IDA, agreement signed in Bamako on 30 June 2026 | 28,206,151,000 | Council of 7 August 2026 |
| Electricity sector improvement (additional financing): reliability of supply in Bamako, EDM-SA's performance | IDA, agreement signed in Bamako on 30 June 2026 | 19,744,305,700 | Council of 12 August 2026 |
| Kourouba hydroelectric plant and connection to the EDM-SA grid | BOAD, agreement signed in Lomé on 29 April 2026 | 15,000,000,000 | Council of 25 June 2026 |
Total of the seven loans: about 273 billion FCFA. For comparison, the draft 2027 State budget provides for 4,462.6 billion in spending: see our page on the 2026-2027 budget.
What it means for a business
Contracts to come. These financings lead to contracts for works, supplies and services. The real contracts approved in 2026 (amounts, deadlines, winners) are described in our page on public contracts approved in 2026, and the rules in public procurement, thresholds and appeals.
Possible exemptions. Malian law provides that tax-free public contracts financed from external resources can benefit from tax and customs exemptions, set programme by programme by order of the Finance Minister. A detailed example is given in our page on tax and customs exemptions.
Sectors involved. Electricity (see fuel and electricity), education and construction, health, resilience and local development in the centre and north of the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest external loan of 2026 found here?
The IDA financing for emergency access to essential services, 83.4 billion FCFA, signed on 1 April 2026, which notably supports free healthcare for women and children.
What is the 225 kV North Loop around Bamako?
A high-voltage power line project around the capital, partly financed by the AfDB to the tune of 34.3 billion FCFA.
Where can I find these texts?
In the Council of Ministers statements and the Official Journal, published by the General Secretariat of the Government.
Official sources (checked on 19 October 2026)
- General Secretariat of the Government, Council of Ministers statements of 8 April, 25 June, 17 July, 7 August and 12 August 2026 (French).
- Official Journal no. 17 of 2026, decree no. 2026-0452/PT-RM of 31 July 2026 (French; ratification of the AfDB loan agreements for the 225 kV North Loop around Bamako).