ENSURING INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL: IS THE WORLD BANK LEARNING ENOUGH FROM ITS PROJECTS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA? - Background Paper

Jul 19, 2026

The World Bank is the largest donor for education in low- and middle-income countries and positions its work as a “knowledge bank,” producing reports and research beyond financing. This background paper tests whether the World Bank learns sufficiently from education projects in West and Central Africa, a region with the poorest educational outcomes in attainment and achievement. Evidence from portfolio trends and independent ratings suggests a mixed learning record: portfolio size and quality have increased while learning effectiveness remains uneven.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

Introduction

Trend in World Bank Commitments for Education Portfolio in West and Central Africa

Methodology for the Evaluation of World Bank Projects

Trends in IEG Ratings

Lessons Learned in Implementation Completion Reports

Conclusion

References

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized ENSURING INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL: IS THE WORLD BANK LEARNING ENOUGH FROM ITS PROJECTS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA? BACKGROUND PAPER FOR THE WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA EDUCATION STRATEGY Quentin Wodon, Bernardo da Cruz Vasconcellos, Laura McDonald, and Emma Cameron May 2022 Standard Disclaimer: This background note was prepared for the World Bank’s AFW Education Strategy 2022-2025. It is made available here to communicate the results of the Bank’s work to the development community with the least possible delay. The manuscript of this paper, therefore, has not been prepared in accordance with the procedures appropriate to formally-edited texts. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Copyright Statement: The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting portions or all of this work without permission may be a violation of applicable law. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission to reproduce portions of the work promptly. For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with complete information to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, telephone 978-750-8400, fax 978-750-4470, [http://www.copyright.com/](http://www.copyright.com/) . All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, fax 202-522-2422, e-mail [pubrights@worldbank.org](pubrights@worldbank.org). Contents Contents ............................................................................................................................................4 Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................................5 Abstract.............................................................................................................................................6 1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................7 2. Trend in World Bank Commitments for Education Portfolio in West and Central Africa ....................8 3. Methodology for the Evaluation of World Bank Projects .................................................................9 4. Trends in IEG Ratings ....................................................................................................................11 5. Lessons Learned in Implementation Completion Reports...............................................................14 5. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................16 References.......................................................................................................................................17 Figures Figure 1. Commitments to education in West and Central Africa, 2015–21 (US$) .......................................................8 Figure 2. Overall performance ratings for education projects, 2009–20 ....................................................................12 Figure 3. IEG ratings f

FAQs

What central question does the background paper address?

Whether the World Bank is learning enough from its education projects in West and Central Africa, its worst-performing region for educational outcomes.

How does the paper frame the World Bank’s education role?

It emphasizes that, besides financing, the World Bank acts as a “knowledge bank” through reports and research intended to inform future work.

What is the overall finding about whether the World Bank is learning?

The assessment is mixed: the education portfolio in the region has grown in size and quality, but learning effectiveness based on evidence remains uneven.

Jul 19, 2026

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