In line with its Medium-Term Strategy (2008–2012), the Bank Group operations in 2011 continued to address pressing development challenges facing RMCs, to help them to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth and development. The focus was on the four core priority areas of infrastructure, governance, private sector development, and higher education and vocational training. The Bank also scaled up its support for fragile states, middle-income countries (MICs), agricultural and rural development, gender, environment, and climate change, regional integration and trade as well as knowledge development and management.

The Bank Group approval of UA 5.72 billion for new operations in 2011 represents an increase of 39.9 percent over the 2010 amount of UA 4.09 billion. The approvals for 2011 signaled a return to a more regular pattern of lending after the significant increase in 2009, when the Bank Group stepped in to play a countercyclical role in response to the global economic crisis. Of the total amount approved in 2011, UA 4.13 billion was in the form of loans and grants, while UA 1.59 billion was directed toward debt relief, private equity participations, and Special Fund allocations.

In 2011, Bank Group project and program approvals for all five subregions (including multinational projects and programs) amounted to UA 4.13 billion. This was an increase of 12.5 percent over the 2010 level of UA 3.67 billion. In terms of distribution, West Africa attracted 24.8 percent of approvals funding; North Africa, 21.9 percent; East Africa, 14.8 percent; Central Africa, 11.0 percent; and Southern Africa, 9.8 percent. Loan and grant approvals for multinational projects and programs gained 17.8 percent of funding.

Multisector operations foster improvements in public financial management and institutional reforms, thereby promoting sound financial governance and robust and transparent public institutions. The finance approvals largely took the form of senior loans, lines of credit (LOCs) to financial intermediaries for onlending to small and medium- size enterprises (SMEs), as well as equity participations.