9th Africities: UCLG Africa chief hails Morocco's city policy

Compared to other African countries, Morocco has taken the right step in the right direction in terms of urbanization and city policy, said the Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi.

In an interview with MAP, on the sidelines of the 9th edition of the Africities Summit (Kisumu 17-21 May), Mbassi noted that African countries are called to draw inspiration from the Moroccan example in terms of upgrading cities, welcoming the “significant achievements” made in this field by the Kingdom.

Among the main aspects on which Morocco can inspire the sister countries, there is to cite the establishment of strong mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of projects and programs launched, he said, stressing that the fruits of these investments are dependent on the strength of monitoring mechanisms and maintenance in place.

The African partners are then invited to inquire about the mechanism developed by the Moroccan authorities and try to adopt it to their projects and territories, or be inspired to achieve similar instruments.

Similarly, Morocco is very advanced in terms of digitization of local authorities, which paves the way for the digital era, e-government and smart cities, he added, citing as such, the example of the cities of Berkane and Benguerir, which are intermediate cities that have already established efficient mechanisms for digital transformation.

In addition, Morocco can serve as an example for African countries in the field of human resources of local authorities, added the SG of UCLGA, noting that in Africa, local authorities do not have the required level at this time in terms of human capital, both in terms of quality and quantity.

“However, Morocco has taken matters into its own hands and has created a training department at the Ministry of the Interior, which ensures the strengthening of skills and upgrading of officials,” said Mbassi.

Morocco is also a champion in terms of energy mix, the Moroccan authorities announcing the achievement of a renewable energy share of nearly 40% of the national electricity mix, with a projection of 64% by 2030, he stressed, stressing the need to export the instruments and mechanisms that have achieved these goals.

He also noted that the African continent is full of examples that Morocco can also draw inspiration, citing in particular the circular economy project in Benin, which is, according to him, one of the most advanced projects in the world.