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- [Analysis] Mattei Plan from North African Countries’ Perspective - 23 February, 2026
Since the invasion of Ukraine, the supply of accessible and reliable energy supply has become an urgent question for several European countries. Simultaneously new global actors like Russia and China seem to have inaugurated a new “scramble for Africa”. As a reaction to this changing world order, Italy has developed a new Africa strategy. According to the Piano Mattei Plan this article will look into a renewed Italian commitment in Africa, putting a special focus on North Africa and its former colony Libyia.
Mattei Plan: An Italian Endevour in Africa
Italy’s Piano Mattei, approved in January 2024, directs foreign policy and the G7 Presidency, seeking to enhance public-private investment in Africa in energy, infrastructure, agro-food, education, healthcare, water, and digital fields, while tackling climate change, energy security, and migration issues. Amid diminishing Russian gas supplies, Italy is prioritizing African energy partners, utilizing historical connections from Enrico Mattei’s approach, while ENI broadens its operations following the 2022 energy crisis.
The Plan encourages collaborative project development, mutual growth, and is in line with EU and global efforts. It features pilot initiatives in nine nations, growing to 14. It amounts to €5.5 billion, incorporating grants, loans, and guarantees from Italy, multilateral organizations, and private financiers. The main financial tools include the Mattei Plan and Rome Process Financing Facility, the African Development Bank, the Mattei Co-financing and Technical Assistance Arrangement Plan, the Growth and Resilience Platform for Africa (GRAF), and the Africa Measure.
The Plan highlights non-exploitative collaboration, mutual partnerships, and strategic industrial and entrepreneurial initiatives, presenting migration containment as an outcome of regional economic development. Governance is directed by a Steering Committee and Mission Structure in the Prime Minister’s Office, aligning ministries, businesses, and NGOs. Improving local African participation, diaspora engagement, and enhanced consultation is still needed.
North African Countries Accept Mattei Plan
Morocco
Morocco, represented by Ambassador Youssef Balla, highlighted its proactive engagement in Mediterranean organizations and its dedication to fostering regional stability, collaboration, and sustainable development. Enhancing strategic and parliamentary connections with Italy continues to be a priority, demonstrating Morocco’s aim to strengthen partnerships rooted in common interests and reciprocal development.
Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch emphasized that Africa’s development initiatives should directly tackle the needs of citizens, concentrating on education, healthcare, energy, and sustainability in the environment. Ambassador Balla emphasized Morocco’s stable, reform-oriented economy, updated infrastructure, and strategic positioning, encouraging Italian investment in crucial areas like renewable energy, automotive, agro-industry, and tourism. He emphasized the historical, cultural, and economic ties between Italy and Morocco, with the Mattei Plan exemplifying effective partnership.
Morocco has embraced a new Memorandum of Understanding aimed at improving collaboration in higher education, science, innovation, and technology. This agreement encompasses fields such as AgriFood, water management, the Blue economy, renewable energy, climate action, health, engineering, social sciences, and cultural heritage, with a Joint Steering Committee established to guarantee tangible results.
- Education/Energy: “Pan-African Centre for Renewable Energy Training and Energy Transition”, offering training, startup acceleration, and knowledge dissemination; aims to train 100 professionals, 200 students, and support 5 startups. Initially at Mohammed Sesto Polytechnic University, potentially moving to Tangier.
- Health: “Mama Sofia telemedicine program” for remote monitoring of chronic diseases, using devices from Vexavit and Dedalus with Italian clinical support, to reduce hospitalizations and improve care.
Algeria
Since the inaugural summit in 2024, Algeria has highlighted its dedication to enhancing bilateral collaboration with Italy in sectors like mobility, migration, security, counterterrorism, and maritime connections, reiterating its involvement in the Aqaba Process and endorsing mutual agreements.
Algeria has furthered its economic and energy plans, finalizing more than 40 deals in areas such as energy, investment, and employment generation. Major agreements feature Eni-Sonatrach collaborations in hydrocarbons, renewable energy, and gas exports, along with the CEIP-Copresud €1 billion iron facility initiative utilizing green hydrogen. Additional agreements emphasize agriculture, industry, the circular economy, healthcare, training, and a submarine data cable—underscoring Algeria’s goal to promote sustainable development and regional connectivity.
Main planned projects in 2024:
- Agriculture: “Desert Recovery Project” invests in 36,000 hectares of arid land in Timimoun, Algeria, for cereal and legume cultivation, sugar plants, and an agro-industrial pasta production chain, creating about 6,000 jobs through a 49% partnership with the Algerian National Investment Fund and international banks.
- Vocational Training: A regional vocational training centre will develop high-tech companies, attracting citizens from Sahelian nations and eventually across Africa. The site in Algiers is being identified, with implementation starting in 2025.
Tunisia
Tunisia plans to enhance collaboration with Italy, finalizing agreements in agriculture, energy, and culture by January 2026. The initiatives tackle youth unemployment, the gap between education and labor, and migration, forming a component of Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa, which encourages development, investment, and job creation.
- Agriculture/Water: “TANIT”, which enhances food security via treated wastewater distribution, drought-affected crop revitalization, and a tech transfer center. Funded by €1.6M in development cooperation, €32M for the center, Italian Climate Fund, and African Development Bank.
- Energy/Training: “Terna Innovation Zone”, which develops technical expertise and innovation, supports startups, offers specialist training for the Tunisian energy sector, and advanced programs for university students, leveraging the Elmed interconnection.
- Culture: Archaeological sites. It aims at the restoration and enhancement at Kerkouane, Pupput, and Neapolis by the Central Institute for Restoration to preserve authenticity, improve knowledge, and boost tourism.
Egypt
The Egyptian government has finalized various agreements to enhance its leather, marble, and furniture sectors while promoting disability inclusion. Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and the Central Bank of Egypt reached an agreement on a €45M soft loan for SMEs, along with a €100M deal between CDP and Afreximbank for food security in Africa.
SACE entered into Memoranda of Understanding with Orascom and Bank of Alexandria to assist Italian suppliers in infrastructure and small-medium enterprise trade. SIMEST and Egypt’s National Service Project Organisation reached an agreement on investment in silica sand mining. Mer Mec secured €7M and €100M railway contracts; Arsenale S.p.A finalized a tourist train agreement.
Italian Hospitality School and Pickalbatros Group will provide vocational training in Hurghada to support legal migration and workforce demands, enrolling approximately 200 students annually. Italy and Egypt further developed collaboration in technical and vocational training. The project creates premium tourism and professional programs, international internships, educational exchanges, research collaboration, and integration into the labor market. Classes begin in the first quarter of 2025.
Lybia
Libya welcomed Italy’s construction of the training and innovation hub at Ciheam Bari, viewing it as support for skills development and food security under the Mattei Plan for Africa.
Libya and Italy reached a joint agreement to enhance economic and industrial collaboration in energy, green technology, essential raw materials, investment, research, and digital transformations. The accord also encourages mining, steel, and technology exchange, featuring the AI Hub for Sustainable Development, in line with Libya’s expansion and G7 interests.
Replicated projects in multiple target countries
Italy is anticipating comparable investment and industrial expansion in various targeted nations. Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt seem to represent the primary locations for the intended pilot projects. They are participating in the same four subsequent projects:
- Energy: “A Roadmap to Connect Africa to Europe for Clean Energy Production”. It maps existing/planned energy infrastructure, assess renewable potential, develop North Africa–Europe interconnection roadmap, and analyze requirements for full renewable energy development, supporting EU Green Deal goals and private sector investment.
- Education: Memoranda of Understanding, which promotes Italian language teaching, organize teacher training, and foster technical-vocational partnerships to equip youth with skills for enterprise and workforce transition.
- Infrastructure/Training: “AI Hub for Sustainable Development”. It will strengthen African AI ecosystems, promote green computing, improve data infrastructure, encourage ethical AI use, and support startups, industry–university partnerships, and AI projects in pilot nations.
- Training: “Transnational Educational Initiatives” and “AFAM Internationalization”. They will fund dual degrees, research, professional curricula, and artistic projects in target countries; €50M for universities and €87M for AFAM initiatives, with a significant portion dedicated to Africa under the Mattei Plan. The Transnational Education Initiatives are carried by all five North African countries but the AFAM Internationalitation project will be directed only to Algeria, Tunia and Egypt.
Potential Threats to Mattei Plan
In the North African region the major threat to the success of Mattei Plan is linked to the political instability of Libya. According to Geopolitical Intelligence Services (GIS), although these agreements seem trustworthy, it is important to recognize that engaging with the current Libyan leadership poses considerable challenges of different sorts. Following Muammar Qaddafi’s fall in 2011, Libya has experienced unstable governance, leading to a division where each half is governed by competing administrations. In Tripoli, the Government of National Unity (GNU) is located in the west, primarily allied with Turkey and receiving backing from the United Nations, Qatar, Algeria, and Pakistan. It is charged with having connections to Islamist extremism and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Government of National Stability (GNS), based in the eastern city of Benghazi, is under the leadership of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, receiving backing from the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, the Libyan National Army, and foreign nations including Egypt, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. At last, GIS adds states that since power split, another significant militia, the Special Deterrence Force (RADA), has joined the conflict. This group is led by Abdurrauf Kara, an individual associated with Osama Almasri Najim, who was involved in a major international scandal.
The large number of conflicting actors at play increases the risk of Mattei Plan failure in Libya.
Concluding, the Mattei Plan opens an ambitious vision for a new Italian-North African partnership. On the one hand the projects envisaged here provide impressive promises for the future development of this region, strengthening the influence of the European Union. On the other hand, facing the complexity and fragility there are several stumbling stones, that might hamper to realize the discussed strategy.
Further question:
- Where do you consider potential further gaps into this strategy?
- Do you see any further potentials for the Mattei Plan?
- How could this strategy be embedded in a wider European Africa Strategy?
Additional Readings:
Camera dei Deputati & Senato della Repubblica. (2025). Relazione sullo stato di attuazione del Piano Mattei (Doc. CCXXXIII n. 2). https://documenti.camera.it/_dati/leg19/lavori/documentiparlamentari/IndiceETesti/233/002/INTERO.pdf
Michelino, A. (2025, September 26). Italy’s Mattei Plan: Geoeconomic projection into Africa. Geopolitical Monitor. https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/italys-mattei-plan-geoeconomic-projection-into-africa/
Varvelli, A. (2024, July 2). Italy’s Mattei Plan: Mirage or reality? Megatrends Spotlight 34. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (German Institute for International and Security Affairs). https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/mta-spotlight-34-italys-mattei-plan-mirage-or-reality
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