• Orange Mali secures €80M loan to expand 4G and fiber networks

• Project to improve internet for 300,000 users, focus on rural coverage

• Includes solar rollout, women’s digital training, and carbon reduction goals
  

Telecom operator Orange Mali, the country’s largest provider of mobile, fixed-line, and internet services, has secured an €80 million (approximately $93 million) loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD).

The IFC, the World Bank Group’s private-sector arm, announced the financing on Monday, November 17, 2025. Under the agreement, the IFC will provide €50 million, while BOAD will supply the remaining €30 million. The International Development Association (IDA) is also supporting the project by improving access to local-currency financing, which remains scarce in Mali.

Orange Mali plans to use the funding to install 300 new 4G sites, half of them in underserved rural areas, and to extend its fiber-optic network. The upgrades are expected to improve internet access for nearly 300,000 households and small businesses. Better connectivity is seen as essential for supporting economic activity, enhancing public services, and creating new opportunities for young people.

“This support will allow us to expand network coverage, strengthen resilience, and enable more Malians to benefit from the opportunities offered by the digital economy,” said Aboubakar Sadikhe Diop, CEO of Orange Mali. The company reports more than 12 million subscribers and remains the country’s largest telecom operator.

Sustainability and Inclusion

Beyond network expansion, the project aims to narrow the digital divide and support environmental goals. Orange Mali has committed to increasing the share of women participating in its digital skills programs to 70% by 2032, an effort the IFC described as key to boosting women’s economic participation.

The initiative also includes a gradual shift from diesel generators to solar-powered systems, a move expected to cut more than 8,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

This financing marks the first concrete result of an agreement signed in May 2025 between the IFC and Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA), which aims to deploy sustainable digital infrastructure across eight countries in West and Central Africa.

Sandrine Gaingne