The West African Development Bank (WADB) was established by agreements signed on November 14, 1973, and became operational in 1976. It is a Community institution responsible for the economic development and integration of the countries in the zone.
Its membership includes 8 countries from the sub-region and 7 other members from outside the region. (www.boad.org/en/presentation).
The Bank has three financing windows:
- a concessionary window known as the Development and Cohesion Fund (FDC), which finances public development projects;
- a commercial window that finances commercially-oriented investment projects led by the states and public or private corporations;
- an Energy Development Fund (FDE) set up in the framework of the “Regional Initiative for Sustainable Energy”, a community programme aimed at financing energy projects.