Meloni revealed the planned expansion while speaking at the conference “Laying the groundwork for jobs in Africa” held at the Bank of Italy on Wednesday, where she outlined Italy’s broader strategy for economic partnership with African countries.
“The Matte Plan has involved 14 countries, and in 2026, we will extend it to another 4: Congo, Rwanda, Gabon, and Zambia,” Meloni said.
The Mattei Plan is a strategic initiative launched by the Italian government to promote what it describes as a “non-predatory” and equal partnership with African nations.
The programme focuses on key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, education, health, and agriculture.
Backed by more than €1.2 billion in funding, the plan aims to boost development in partner countries while also helping to address the root causes of irregular migration toward Europe.
Meloni also stressed that the success of cooperation with Africa should be judged by practical results.
“We believe that the effectiveness of cooperation is measured not by good intentions but by the concrete results it achieves in terms of jobs created, businesses supported, and investments mobilized.
“This is our approach, and we believe it should also be the approach Europe and the West adopt toward Africa: less fragmentation, more coordination, less rhetoric, more construction projects, fewer promises, more innovative and concrete financial instruments, less charity, more development,” she noted.
Currently, the initiative involves 14 partner countries. The initial pilot group includes Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Mozambique, and Tunisia.
Additional partners later added to the programme are Angola, Ghana, Senegal, Mauritania, and Tanzania.
Leave a Reply