With an annual lending portfolio of just over $3.4 billion in 2006, the Bank provides loans, equity, and technical assistance to regional member countries at competitive market rates. By the end of 2005, the Bank Group had provided a cumulative $55 billion in loans and grants in the region.
Since 1967 when the Bank first began lending, North Africa has received approximately one-third of the Bank's portfolio (over $17 billion), a trend that continues today with Morocco and Tunisia being the largest borrowers. West Africa has received roughly a quarter of all loans, with Nigeria the largest recipient. East (15.2%), Southern (13.7%) and Central (12.3%) Africa are the next largest recipients of AfDB finance, with Ethiopia, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo representing the top recipients from the respective regions.
According to the Bank's annual report, AfDB loans and grants during 2005 were allocated to each sector as follows:
Infrastructure – 39.4%
Multi-sector – 15.2%
Agriculture and Rural Development – 13.3%
Social Sector – 13.4%
Finance – 12.5%
Environment – 4.3%
Industry, Mining and Quarrying – 2.0%
Find more details on the Bank's lending in the AfDB's 2005 Annual Report.