World Bank Approves $30M Credit To Mauritania For First Reform Program Supporting Inclusive, Sustainable Growth And Job Creation

The World Bank has approved Mauritania’s First Reform for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth Development Policy Financing, providing a $30 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) to support the government’s efforts to build a more diversified, resilient, and job-creating economy.

This operation represents a significant step in Mauritania’s transition toward a more inclusive and sustainable development model, with reforms aimed at expanding economic opportunities, strengthening institutions, and improving the quality of essential services to ensure that growth translates into better jobs and improved living conditions for the country’s citizens, according to Ibou Diouf, World Bank Country Manager for Mauritania.

This financing is the first in a programmatic series of three operations designed to address structural constraints that limit Mauritania’s economic transformation. The program supports government initiatives to strengthen property tax collection, enhance the regulatory framework for private investment, build human capital and workforce skills, and accelerate inclusive access to affordable and sustainable energy services.

Urbain Thierry Yogo, Task Team Leader and Senior Economist, highlighted that the reforms tackle core bottlenecks that have historically hindered Mauritania’s ability to generate productive jobs and expand its economic base. By improving the investment climate, boosting human capital, and increasing access to reliable energy, the program lays the foundation for sustained, private-sector-led growth that benefits all Mauritanians.

Enhancing property tax collection is expected to expand fiscal space for critical public investments in infrastructure, health, and education, while modernizing investment regulations will create a more transparent, predictable, and competitive environment for private sector growth, entrepreneurship, and SME development.

Human capital development remains central to the country’s long-term growth strategy, with measures supported under the program aimed at improving learning outcomes, raising the quality and equity of health services, strengthening social protection systems, and enhancing the resilience of vulnerable populations.

The operation also advances key energy sector reforms to expand affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy access in line with the seventh United Nations Sustainable Development Goal and the M300 Mauritania Energy Compact. These reforms are designed to accelerate progress toward universal energy access while allowing the country to harness its significant renewable energy potential.

The program aligns with the forthcoming Country Partnership Framework (CPF 2026–2030) and supports national strategies, including the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity, the National Prevention Strategy, and broader government efforts to diversify the economy and reduce vulnerability to climate and commodity shocks.

By implementing this comprehensive set of reforms, the Development Policy Financing supports Mauritania’s ambition to move from an extractive-based economy toward a diversified, job-rich, and climate-resilient growth model capable of delivering stronger economic opportunities and improved living standards for all its citizens.