BADEA and Sahel States advance regional economic and resource strategies

The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and Côte d’Ivoire are working to strengthen their financial and technical partnership. During a meeting between BADEA President Abdullah KH Almusaibeeh and Ivorian Minister of State Nialé Kaba, both parties identified key sectors for increased support, including infrastructure, energy, transport, agriculture, and water. Since 1975, BADEA has funded 67 projects in Côte d’Ivoire, totaling approximately $1.39 billion.

In another regional development, ministers and experts from the Confederation of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—met in Ouagadougou to establish a framework for energy and mining sovereignty. The meeting aims to validate strategic documents to harmonize energy and mining policies across the member states. The goal is to ensure that strategic resources, such as gold and oil, contribute to local industrial transformation, job creation, and public revenue rather than being exported without domestic benefit.