NEW YORK, September 21 — This evening, World Bank Group President David Malpass met with Issoufou Mahamadou, former President of Niger and the President of the High-Level Independent Panel on Security and Development in the Sahel.
President Malpass commended former President Mahamadou for enabling the democratic transition of power in Niger following his two-term presidency and thanked him for his mediation of Burkina Faso’s political crisis.
President Malpass and former President Mahamadou discussed multiple challenges facing the Sahel including severe drought, environmental degradation, displacement, debt sustainability, demographic pressures, and deteriorating security. President Malpass welcomed the work of the High-Level Independent Panel on Security and Development in the Sahel, and offered World Bank Group (WBG) technical and analytical support to the Panel in the design and implementation of its action plan.
President Malpass highlighted to former President Mahamadou the doubling of WBG IDA commitments to the Sahel region over the past IDA cycle through projects focusing on food security, energy, digitalization, education, and social protection. President Malpass was also glad to discuss the WBG’s recently published Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) for G5 Sahel, which outlines climate adaptation priorities for the region and financing requirements.
