Banco de Desenvolvimento do Oeste Africano - BDOA) was established in 1973 to serve the nations of Francophone and Lusophone West Africa.

The BOAD is organised by the Central Bank of West African States and its eight member governments: Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

[3] The BOAD released a revised mission statement in 2001, refocusing their funding on three development goals: poverty reduction, economic integration and promotion of private sector activity.

The bank disburses long- and medium-term loans, previously available only to BOAD member governments and public institutions, are since 2002 also offered to private businesses involved in development projects of regional importance as well as lines of credit to finance Micro-credit projects and small to medium private enterprises.

[4] The bank is headquartered in Lome, Togo, in a seven-story modernist building designed by the French architects Durand, Menard, and Thiebault in 1980.