The West African Development Bank (BOAD) and the World Bank Group have signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in preventing, detecting and investigating fraud, corruption and other practices that could undermine the integrity of development-financing operations.

The memorandum of understanding was signed in Washington on September 2, 2026, by Adama Papa Sacko, Inspector General of BOAD, and Maria Thestrup, Vice President of the World Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency (INT). The agreement provides a framework for the two institutions to exchange relevant information, coordinate on matters of common interest and share investigation methods and best practices.

The partnership is aimed at strengthening the protection of resources used to finance development projects in West Africa. Both BOAD’s Inspector General’s Office and the World Bank’s INT operate independently in areas including investigations, oversight and prevention. The World Bank says INT investigates allegations of fraud and corruption linked to World Bank Group-financed projects and can pursue sanctions when misconduct is substantiated.

For BOAD, the agreement is its second such partnership with a multilateral development bank, following an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in July 2025. The new cooperation comes as development-financing institutions seek to strengthen safeguards around the use of funds and improve their ability to detect and investigate integrity-related risks.