On January 11, the World Bank decided to invest billions of dollars over five years in 11 African countries to aid environmental diversity, improve agricultural productivity, and enhance livelihoods, all during their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
David Malpass, the President of the World Bank, stated that the investment will help improve the lives of people as these countries recover from the pandemic and address the impacts of biodiversity loss and climate change until 2025. Malpass made these remarks during a summit hosted by France and the United Nations that focuses on addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. The funds will be used to finance interventions in agriculture, water, community development, food security, infrastructure improvement, and renewable energy. The World Bank noted in a statement that the money will benefit countries in the Sahel region, Lake Chad, and the Horn of Africa, specifically Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan.
