IDA Impact in Africa

Global Voices: Why IDA Works

Hear from ministers and thought-leaders around the world why IDA is best placed to help countries invest in their futures, improve lives, and create safer, more prosperous communities around the world.

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Bringing forth water to combat food insecurity and climate change in the Sahel

64% of the population of the Sahel lives in rural areas and depends primarily on rainfed farming for their livelihood. Despite the potential for up to two million hectares of land to be irrigated, only three percent of farmland has irrigation systems in place.

Read More | The World Bank in Western and Central Africa

Improving Water and Sanitation Facilities in Malawi’s Urban Schools for Better Learning Outcomes

Without WASH facilities in schools, children are more likely to get ill and miss out on an education, particularly girls. The availability of water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in schools improves health and increases school attendance leading to better learning outcomes.

Enhancing Access to Services and Opportunities for Refugees and Hosts in Niger

Between 2019 and 2023, 1.12 million refugees, IDPs, and their host communities gained improved access to public services and economic opportunities thanks to the Niger Refugees and Host Communities Support Project (PARCA).

IDA and Tanzania: A Focus on People, Cities, and Public Institutions for a Better Future

Tanzania reached an important milestone in July 2020 when it formally graduated from low-income to lower-middle-income country (LMIC) status.

Restoring Dignity and Livelihoods in Madagascar’s Grand Sud

The World Bank targets the persistent poverty in Madagascar's Grand Sud region, leveraging local determination to overcome famine and underdevelopment.

Read more | World Bank in Madagascar

The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank Group that helps the world’s 75 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. It is one of the largest sources of development assistance for these countries.

IDA aims to reduce poverty by providing zero to low-interest loans (called “credits”) and grants for programs that boost economic growth, reduce inequalities, and improve people’s living conditions. More than half of IDA countries receive all, or half, of their IDA resources on grant terms, which carry no repayments at all.

IDA resources are replenished every three years from donor governments, the World Bank Group, and market sources. The current cycle is the twentieth (IDA20) since IDA’s establishment in 1960. The theme for IDA20 is Building Back Better from the Crisis: Toward a Green, Resilient and Inclusive Future. IDA20 covers the period July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2025. On December 6-8, 2023, IDA donor and borrower representatives will gather in Zanzibar, Tanzania, for a Mid-Term Review of IDA20, which will assess midway delivery of the IDA20 policy and financial commitments.

The results stories featured on this website illustrate how the World Bank leverages its global knowledge solutions, financing, and platform role to help African countries break the cycle of poverty. The stories showcase IDA’s impact on families, national economies, and development across the region.

“With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other crises, innovations in IDA facilitated surge financing that balanced short-term urgent needs with longer-term priorities. With IDA20, we are making more efforts to scale up successes in support of a Rising Africa.”
– Victoria Kwakwa, Regional Vice President, Eastern and Southern Africa

“From climate shocks to political instability and growing debt, Africa faces enormous challenges – but also has tremendous potential. As the largest source of concessional finance for the world’s poorest countries, IDA puts people first and is playing a critical role in unlocking human capital while scaling up interventions to transform Africa.”
– Ousmane Diagana, Regional Vice President, Western and Central Africa