Morocco and AfDB enhance partnership for €2.9 billion development projects

Friday 23 May 2025 - 16:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Morocco and AfDB enhance partnership for €2.9 billion development projects

Morocco and the African Development Bank are strengthening their strategic collaboration to accelerate key development initiatives through an ambitious portfolio review of €2.9 billion in structural investments. This review aims to optimize the effectiveness of 32 ongoing projects while ensuring their alignment with national priorities.

According to a statement from the AfDB, nearly three billion euros are currently being utilized in Morocco for launching crucial projects and reforms designed to bolster the North African nation’s competitiveness and appeal.

“This figure reflects the excellence, depth, and vitality of our partnership,” remarked Achraf Tarsim, AfDB’s Country Manager for Morocco, at the launch of the portfolio performance review.

The initiative convenes over a hundred representatives from the government, the Bank Group, and project management units from various ministries and administrations for a comprehensive two-day workshop. The primary objective is to enhance the deployment efficiency of ongoing projects while reinforcing their convergence with national priorities.

The participatory approach is focused on achieving results-oriented outcomes, as the workshop aims to develop a portfolio improvement plan that targets socio-economic impacts beneficial to local populations.

During the opening day, participants will work on formulating a recommendation matrix intended to enhance operational efficiency. This document will outline targeted actions for stakeholders, including the Bank, national authorities, and operational teams, to optimize overall portfolio performance.

“Our meeting with all actors in the public action ecosystem reflects the shared will to amplify the socio-economic impact of projects on the ground, for the benefit of populations,” Tarsim explained.

On the second day, discussions will define the implementation modalities for the portfolio improvement plan, aligning recommendations with Morocco’s national priorities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This comprehensive review will also identify key challenges faced during project execution and propose solutions to overcome constraints, optimize processes, and improve coordination among various intervention levels.

This strategic exercise is set against the backdrop of accelerating the country’s development initiatives, ensuring the relevance, coherence, and effectiveness of the Bank’s multisectoral interventions across Morocco.

The current partnership builds upon a foundation of over fifty years of collaboration between Rabat and the AfDB Group. The Bank has had a continuous presence in Morocco since 1970, with its first project in the drinking water and sanitation sector initiated in 1978.

From that initial intervention through 2022, the Bank has executed nearly 180 operations across diverse sectors, amounting to a total financing of $12 billion. By the end of 2022, the Bank’s active portfolio reached nearly $4 billion, encompassing commitments in energy, multisectoral operations, social and human development, private sector initiatives, water and sanitation, transport infrastructure, and agricultural development.

Over this extended period, the Bank has mobilized nearly €15 billion to finance more than 150 projects and programs in Morocco, covering vital sectors such as transport, social protection, water and sanitation, energy, agriculture, governance, and finance.