The Moroccan government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) signed four significant financing agreements totaling 604 million euros on Wednesday in Rabat.
These agreements aim to advance digitization in universities, enhance regional competitiveness, and improve forest management and conservation in the Kingdom.
The funds will support programs to transition universities toward a more digital, entrepreneurial, and inclusive framework, bolster territorial competitiveness, foster integrated and sustainable development of forested areas, and finance the construction of a highway between Guercif and Nador.
The signing ceremony convened Achraf Hassan Tarsim, the African Development Bank’s Country Manager for Morocco, alongside several Moroccan ministers: Nizar Baraka (Minister of Equipment and Water), Abdellatif Miraoui (Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation), Ryad Mezzour (Minister of Industry and Commerce), Mohcine Jazouli (Minister of Investment, Convergence, and Evaluation of Public Policies), Fouzi Lekjaa (Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance, in charge of the Budget), and Abderrahim Houmy (Director General of the National Agency for Water and Forests).
“The signing of these four agreements is highly significant, underscoring the robust partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the African Development Bank,” stated Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance, in charge of the Budget.
“These projects will collectively have a profound impact, improving the business environment, enhancing skills alignment, optimizing mobility and logistics, and bolstering competitiveness—all while prioritizing environmental sustainability,” noted Achraf Tarsim.
The first agreement, amounting to 120 million euros, will finance the Support Program for Transformation towards a Digital, Entrepreneurial, and Inclusive University, aligned with the Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation Ecosystem Transformation Acceleration Plan (ESRI 2030).
The second agreement, totaling 200 million euros, will establish the Territorial Competitiveness Improvement Program, aimed at strengthening local industrial bases, attracting investors, and generating local employment.
The third agreement, funded with 200 million euros, will support the construction of the 104-kilometer Guercif-Nador highway, enhancing connectivity and attractiveness in the Oriental region.
The fourth agreement, amounting to 84 million euros, will launch the Integrated and Sustainable Forest Areas Development Support Project, addressing water management during droughts, enhancing value chains, promoting forestry and aquaculture entrepreneurship, conserving biodiversity, and improving carbon sequestration.
For over fifty years, the African Development Bank has played a vital role in Morocco, contributing to critical sectors including health, human development, water, agriculture, energy, transport, and finance.
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