9 October 2026: The African Development Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) met in Bamako this week to discuss Mali’s macroeconomic outlook and the investment the country needs to transform its economy.
The discussions also covered the Bank’s new five-year (2026-2031) Country Strategy Paper, which aims to mobilise $800 million to support the West Africa nation’s development priorities.
The meeting took place on Tuesday at the Bank Group’s office in Mali. In attendance were Country Manager Cédric Achille Mbeng Mezui and the IMF Mission Chief for Mali, Ivohasina Fizara Razafimahefa, who led a delegation of the Fund on a courtesy visit.
The two institutions shared their assessments of Mali’s economy and their engagement with the stakeholders in the country. They also discussed the government’s investment priorities and the reforms that could support long-term structural change.
The Bank’s 2026-2031 Country Strategy Paper for Mali, approved in April 2026, prioritises the development of resilient infrastructure in agriculture, transport, and energy. It aims to mobilise $800 million by 2031 from the Bank’s resources and co-financing partners to help fund the country’s 2024-2033 National Strategy for Emergence and Sustainable Development (SNEDD). “The new Country Strategy Paper provides us with a framework to mobilise more financing, develop resilient infrastructure and deepen our engagement with the private sector,” Mbeng Mezui said.Since beginning operations in Mali in 1974, the African Development Bank Group has approved about 117 projects worth about $4.3 billion. It currently has 15 active projects in Mali, 14 of them in the public sector, with total commitments of about $478 million.
The Bank Group’s prospective interventions are aligned with the priorities of the 2026-2031 CSP, particularly in energy, road transport, and skills development. The three-year 2026-2028 Indicative Operational Programme comprises five sovereign operations totalling $419.37 million, providing scope for further development of private-sector operations, with an emphasis on job creation for young people.
The Bank continues to identify promising projects in the financial sector. It has also established a formal consultation framework with the National Employers’ Council of Mali (CNPM) to strengthen dialogue with private-sector stakeholders.
The institution’s support also includes mobilising the Malian diaspora to contribute to the productive sector, notably through mapping the diaspora and identifying promising industries and value chains that could foster investment.
Razafimahefa said the meeting helped the IMF understand what development partners plan fund. “Close dialogue between partner institutions is important for maintaining a common understanding of the country’s economic challenges and supporting the priorities identified by the Malian authorities.”
The two institutions said they will continue to identify reforms that could support Mali’s structural transformation, in line with the Mali Kura 2063 Vision and the SNEDD.
