Overview
Western and Central Africa (AFW) is a vast region with diverse cultures, beliefs, languages, and lifestyles.
Stretching from the most western point of Africa, across the equator, and partly along the Atlantic Ocean till the Republic of Congo in the South, it encompasses 22 countries that spread across semi-arid areas in the Sahel, large coastal areas on the Atlantic Ocean and along the Gulf of Guinea and tropical forest covering many countries from Guinea to the Republic of Congo, through C?te d¡¯Ivoire, Cameroon, and Gabon.
Home to about half a billion people, the sub-region has seen its population multiplied by 4 in the last 50 years. The population is mostly concentrated in the coastal areas, while landlocked countries generally experience lower density. The region has experienced accelerated urbanization, with cities hosting 48% of the population. With 12% of its population being under the age of 15, Western and Central Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world.
Many countries are resource-rich and export commodities such as oil (Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo), cocoa (C?te d¡¯Ivoire, Ghana) and cotton (Benin, Burkina Faso). The agriculture and food sector remains however central in most countries with agriculture providing 42% employment in 2019.
The sub-region is rich in resources and brimming of opportunities. It has experienced high economic growth from the mid-2000's, powered by high commodity prices across natural resource-rich, before slowing down over the recent period.
Economic outlook
In AFW, economic activity is projected to increase from 3.3% in 2023 to 3.9% in 2024 and further accelerate to 4.2% in 2025¨C26. Excluding Nigeria, AFW is projected to grow at a faster pace¡ªthat is, 4.8% in 2024 and 5.1% in 2025¨C26.
Within the subregion, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) is projected to grow at 5.7% in 2024 and 6.2% in 2025¨C26 due to the solid performances of Benin, C?te d¡¯Ivoire, Niger, and Senegal.
Economic growth in Nigeria is projected at 3.3% in 2024 and 3.6% in 2025¨C26 as macroeconomic and fiscal reforms gradually start yielding results. The consolidation of macroeconomic reforms should support higher growth in the country in 2025.
On the back of strong private consumption and capital deepening, growth in C?te d¡¯Ivoire is expected to be 6.5% in 2024 and remain firm at 6.6% in 2026. Infrastructure investment¡ªespecially in the digital and transport sectors¡ªalong with the exploitation of recent oil discoveries and prudent macroeconomic policies should improve investor confidence and enhance growth prospects.
Development Challenges
The AFW region has tremendous potential, with a young, dynamic population, abundant natural resources, and rich cultural heritage. However, it also faces enormous challenges. The region hosts about a quarter of the world¡¯s extreme poor. More than 70% of the region¡¯s population now lives in fragile, conflict, and violence affected (FCV) countries. And 20 countries are eligible for the International Development Association (IDA) assistance.
Countries in AFW are suffering from the impacts of multiple overlapping crises including Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine and the Middle East conflict ¨C as well as the ongoing consequences of climate change and increasing levels of debt distress.
Persistent conflict and violence and political instability continue to weigh on economic activity. Tensions in West Africa have escalated with the decisions of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to leave the Economic Community of West African States and form the Alliance of Sahel States.
Extreme weather events have buffeted swaths of the African continent in recent years, including massive floods in AFW and extreme heat in the Sahel. Climate change amplifies the impacts of conflict and global shocks on agricultural yields, food production, and trade, thus raising food security problems.
World Bank support
ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº has been a long-standing partner of West and Central Africa. In fiscal 2024, the World Bank approved $11 billion for 66 operations in the region, comprising $1.7 billion in IBRD commitments and $9.3 billion in IDA commitments. About half of these commitments went to countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence.
Regional Integration
ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº is expanding its support for regional integration to address the key priorities of the African continent. Priority areas of engagement in West and Central Africa cover regional infrastructure networks, economic diversification, trade and transport facilitation, finance, human capital development, resilience, and fragility. A special focus is also put on addressing fragility in the Lake Chad and Sahel regions.
Partners
Building on a long history of regional trade, the sub-region made impressive progress in regional cooperation. With ECOWAS, it hosts the largest economic and political union in Africa and includes two monetary unions - the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) that cover 14 countries between them.
ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº is a dedicated partner for Western and Central African countries, helping them deliver strong development outcomes for their people by focusing on priorities detailed in the World Bank Africa strategy. The strategy also prioritizes regional integration and research to maximize development impact for clients.
Research and Analysis
Knowledge is essential for governments to make better policies and institutions to make aid more effective. Our most recent regional studies can be found here and analytical work by country is published on each country¡¯s website. This paired with strong analytical work by sector can help promote substantive discussions and drive evidence-based policy making around key development issues.
Last Updated: Oct 30, 2024
