Italy has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB), positioning the institution as a key partner in advancing its Mattei Plan for Africa.
A high-level Italian delegation, led by Stefano Gatti, Director General for Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (FAIC), and Lorenzo Ortona, Head of the Mattei Plan Task Force, visited the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan on Thursday, 8 May. The delegation included representatives from key implementation bodies of the Mattei Plan, such as Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the Ministry of Finance, and key figures from the private sector and civil society organizations.
The Mattei Plan is Italy’s strategic initiative to foster economic and development partnerships across Africa. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has confirmed that the African Development Bank Group will serve as its principal financial partner for the plan's rollout on the continent.
The delegation was welcomed by African Development Bank Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, joined by Vice Presidents Nnenna Nwabufo, Beth Dunford, and Kevin Kariuki, along with directors from departments including energy, finance, and resource mobilization.
Discussions focused on enhancing public-private collaboration between Italy and Africa, particularly in combating hunger and advancing agricultural development. The importance of the African Development Fund, the Bank’s concessional arm, was emphasized for its role in supporting the continent’s most vulnerable countries.
Akin-Olugbade highlighted the tangible progress made since the Mattei Plan was announced in July 2024, especially the operationalization of the Rome Process/Mattei Plan Financing Facility (RPFF). This multi-donor fund, supported by contributions from Italy and the UAE exceeding $170 million, aims to finance climate-aligned infrastructure projects addressing root causes of migration.
“We appreciate, of course, the choice of the African Development Bank to accompany you in your strategy, very ambitious strategy for the continent. We are really very happy to hear that Italy, indeed, is still strongly committed to the continent, and of course, to working with the African Development Fund,” said Akin-Olugbade.
In addition to the RPFF, other collaborative instruments under the Plan include the Growth and Resilience Platform for Africa (Graf) and a bilateral co-financing facility. Through Graf, CDP and the African Development Bank plan to invest up to EUR 400 million over five years in private equity funds to accelerate private sector growth in Africa.
“We are grateful for the outstanding job that the bank has done. We really appreciate it,” said Ortona. “We really believe that in order to enhance the Mattei plan in Africa and the visibility of it, we need partners like you.”
Closing the meeting, Akin-Olugbade noted that the Mattei Plan is setting a precedent for future collaborations between Africa and developed nations.
She added, “I believe that Italy has seen the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund as trusted partners. I believe we have a good track record of providing and achieving results. There's a leveraging effect that multilateral development banks have that sometime bilateral resources do not have. And we need to take advantage of this.”
Italy continues to be a key contributor to the African Development Fund, having pledged EUR 298.88 million to its sixteenth replenishment. The country also supports initiatives like Mission 300 and champions increased private sector engagement, particularly in youth entrepreneurship.
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