The Bank Group’s assistance strategy is aimed at helping the country with its sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts.  The priority thrusts of  the 2005-2009 strategy at the sectoral level include rural development, public utilities and the social sector, especially education, and at the trans-sector level, consolidation of the macro-economic framework, pursuit of the structural reforms, and improved governance: The agricultural sector, the primary source of revenue, remains vulnerable to exogenous shocks, namely; the effects of climate change and fluctuations in the international prices of cotton, the country's primary export product. Within the context of its development, the Burkinabe economy will have to address certain internal constraints and limitations, namely;

• lack of  economic diversification
• low level of human resource development
• insufficient basic infrastructure
• weak institutional capacity
• governance problems

This situation makes the country highly dependent on external assistance for its development.

The priority goals of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) include:

• eradication of extreme poverty by reducing the incidence of  poverty from 46.4% in 2003 to 35% by 2015;
• implementation of macroeconomic policies focused on the achievement of strong, sustainable, and more evenly distributed growth;
• acceleration and strengthening of the decentralization and modernization of public administration; and insertion of Burkina Faso into the regional integration and globalization processes. 

In order to attain the overall objectives, the Government has determined the following four priority thrusts

• acceleration of equity-based growth;
• better access to basic social services for the poor;
• expansion of pro-poor employment opportunities and income-generating activities; and
• promotion of good governance: 

The primary challenge of this program lies in the achievement of strong and sustained growth with the principal objective of an average annual growth rate of at least 7% and implementation of a poverty reduction strategy in a manner compatible with reducing the public debt burden.

The Bank’s priority interventions in the public sector will focus on:

• consolidating the macroeconomic framework and improving governance
• increasing the agricultural sector’s productivity and competitiveness and developing sustainable income-generating activities
• building the country’s administrative capacity
• improving access to basic social services (primary healthcare, water, and rural electrification

The development strategy proposed for the 2005-2009 period is based on the 2003 revised PRSP. For various reasons, the Bank chose to base its assistance strategy for Burkina Faso on two areas of concentration:

• promotion of diversification of the economy
• improvement of the population’s living conditions, especially of vulnerable groups

Diversification of the economy will make it possible to expand the production base and reduce dependency on cotton.  From 1970, year of tits first operation in Burkina Faso, to December 31, 2007, the Bank Group has awarded loans and grants for a total amount net of cancellations of UA 519.4 million to finance 62 operations, 36 of which have been completed and 26 are at various stages of implementation: Total ongoing commitments amount to UA 278.9 million of which UA 256.7 million (92%) for ADF resources and  UA 22.15 million for AfDB resources.