COUNTRY PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORKS FOR CENTRAL SAHEL COUNTRIES (BURKINA FASO, CHAD, MALI & NIGER) FY26 - FY31 - Building Common Foundations for Growth, Jobs and Resilience

Jul 19, 2026

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Country Partnership Frameworks for Central Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger) for FY26–FY31 outlines a shared World Bank Group strategy for contexts shaped by Fragility, Conflict and Violence. The framework targets job creation, especially for youth, by supporting reforms that improve the business environment and by enabling private-sector growth in line with the 3-by-5 Jobs Framework. It proposes adaptive engagement to each country’s FCV drivers, prioritizing coordinated regional collaboration, resilient outcomes and stability while balancing long-term growth with urgent basic needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

Fragile and complex regional context

Security, governance and territorial constraints

Macroeconomic stability, poverty and shocks

Human capital, diversification and resilience building

Private sector, MSMEs and employment pathways

WBG engagement approach in the CS region

Learning integration and stakeholder feedback (Box 1)

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized COUNTRY PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORKS FOR CENTRAL SAHEL COUNTRIES (BURKINA FASO, CHAD, MALI & NIGER) FY26 – FY31 Building Common Foundations for Growth, Jobs and Resilience The World Bank Group (WBG) Country Partnership Frameworks (CPFs) for Central Sahel (CS) countries for FY26–FY31 come as these countries face severe challenges, including those posed by Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV). Their simultaneous discussion presents practical and strategic advantages given their shared challenges and opportunities, several of which transcend borders. It also elevates the message that collaboration and integration among CS countries, as well as with coastal neighbors from Sub-Saharan Africa and, as relevant, the Maghreb, remain crucial for shifting these countries’ development path and achieving resilient outcomes and stability. The CPFs’ overarching objective is catalyzing job creation, notably for the youth, by supporting governments to undertake the needed reforms to improve the business environment and helping the private sector grow – in line with the WBG 3-by-5 Jobs Framework. The CPFs propose a dynamic approach which adapts the WBG engagement to each country’s specific FCV context. Decisions on instruments, scope and modalities of engagement will be informed, inter alia, by the implementation of critical reforms needed to achieve the CPF outcomes, the credibility of the efforts to address the FCV drivers, operational needs, the emergence of opportunities to lower FCV risks and absorptive capacity. The flexibility in the WBG country engagement model will be used for this purpose. As noted in the CPFs, the WBG portfolios reflect complex and evolving country contexts. Building on existing portfolios, the CPFs balance long-term support for sustainable, private sector-led growth while addressing basic needs in the near to medium term. The CPFs leverage the one-WBG approach to – inter alia – expand finance for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) and supplier linkages to translate growth into more and better jobs. This note focusses on the shared elements of the CPFs. Country-specific elements are in the CPFs. Fragile and complex regional context 1. CS countries face severe security challenges in the context of complex, interrelated structural vulnerabilities. Persistent insecurity and political instability, shrinking civic space, and weak governance restrict territorial control, limit public investment and erode the social contract. Their landlocked status, amid severe infrastructure gaps and major regional realignments, raises transportation costs, complicates logistics and exposes them to border closures. These constraints disproportionately affect MSMEs, by number the largest share of enterprises and main source of employment, keeping them small, informal and with low-capacity. Climate change fuels food insecurity, resource competition, displacement and conflict. Rapid population growth further strains public services, ultimately impeding human capital development. High youth joblessness and under-employment magnify radicalization and insecurity risks. A challenging business environment – marked by limited access to finance, skill shortages, institutional fragility and administrative inefficiencies – constrains the private sector. 2. These vulnerabilities significantly affect macroeconomic stability, contributing to elevated poverty levels. Heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture and a narrow set of commodities, coupled with an unfavorable business environment, exposes economies to frequent shocks and price fluctuations, constraining fiscal performance. Inadequate transportation and energy, along with regulatory and institutional hurdles, hinder market access, private investment and economic diversification. Weak institutions and limited fiscal space undermine policy effectiveness. Increased insecurity and a difficult business environment disrupt

FAQs

What is the overall objective of the FY26–FY31 Country Partnership Frameworks?

To catalyze job creation, especially for youth, by supporting governments to carry out reforms that improve the business environment and by helping the private sector grow, consistent with the WBG 3-by-5 Jobs Framework.

Which shared regional challenges are emphasized for Central Sahel countries?

Severe security challenges linked to weak governance and restricted territorial control, plus landlocked constraints, climate-driven food insecurity, rapid population growth, high youth joblessness, and an unfavorable business environment limiting private investment.

How does the framework propose to adapt World Bank Group engagement across different FCV contexts?

It uses a dynamic approach where instrument choice, scope and modalities are informed by the critical reforms required to achieve CPF outcomes, the credibility of efforts addressing FCV drivers, operational needs, emerging opportunities to reduce FCV risks, and absorptive capacity.

Jul 19, 2026

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