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ECOWAS Bank commits $6bn to West Africa’s development, seeks more investment – EnviroNews
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The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has committed more than $6 billion to over 330 projects across West Africa, as the regional development finance institution calls for increased mobilisation of public and private capital to accelerate economic transformation.
The President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EBID, Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, disclosed this while speaking at a High-Level Hard Talk session at the Rebranding Africa Forum (RAF) 2026 in Brussels, Belgium.
Donkor stressed the need for stronger regional development financing and closer collaboration among governments, development partners, institutional investors and the private sector to translate West Africa’s economic potential into tangible development gains.
Presenting his vision, “Building the West Africa of Tomorrow: Financing People, Prosperity and Regional Integration,” he identified reliable energy, modern transport networks, digital infrastructure, industrialisation and human capital development as critical to building a prosperous and competitive region.
He said these priorities underpin EBID’s Growth, Resilience and Optimisation (GRO) Strategy 2026–2030, which focuses on strategic investments, sustainability and regional integration.
According to him, addressing the region’s infrastructure and development needs requires innovative financing mechanisms capable of attracting more investment into projects with significant economic and social benefits.
Donkor identified limited access to long-term financing, negative risk perceptions and a shortage of bankable projects as major constraints to development across West Africa.
He explained that EBID was working to address these challenges by helping structure viable projects, reducing investment risks and mobilising innovative financing solutions to attract capital to high-impact opportunities.
The bank’s more than $6 billion in commitments covers projects across its 15 member states, supporting key sectors including infrastructure, energy, agriculture, industry, healthcare, education and financial services.
Donkor also emphasised the importance of investments in human capital and deeper regional integration, noting that both were essential to improving productivity, strengthening resilience and promoting shared prosperity.
“The West Africa of tomorrow will not be built through ambition alone. It will be built through strategic investments in people, infrastructure and regional integration,” he said.
He reaffirmed EBID’s commitment to mobilising capital, partnerships and innovative financing solutions to transform the region’s economic potential into sustainable development outcomes.
The EBID president called on governments, development partners, institutional investors and private businesses to strengthen collaboration in financing West Africa’s transformation.
He maintained that coordinated efforts to mobilise resources and support strategic investments would be critical to advancing sustainable economic growth and regional integration.
The bank’s GRO Strategy 2026–2030 is expected to provide a framework for advancing these priorities through targeted investments and initiatives designed to strengthen economic resilience and deepen cooperation among West African countries.
The discussions at the Rebranding Africa Forum underscored the importance of development finance institutions in bridging funding gaps, supporting infrastructure development and creating conditions for greater private-sector participation in the region’s economic transformation.
