ROME — The Italian government says its flagship Mattei Plan for Africa has entered a new phase, shifting from political launch to implementation as projects expand, financing scales up and international partnerships deepen.
Why it matters: The report is the government’s most comprehensive update on the implementation of the Mattei Plan, the centerpiece of Italy’s Africa policy.
- Rome increasingly frames the initiative not as a purely national project but as one embedded within broader European and international cooperation.
- The emphasis has shifted from announcing political priorities to demonstrating implementation through projects, financing and institutional partnerships.
- The report also highlights Italy’s effort to position itself as a coordinator among public institutions, development finance actors and international organizations.
The big picture: According to the government, the Mattei Plan is now operating across 18 partner countries, up from the original nine identified when the initiative was launched in early 2024. Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Zambia joined the framework in March 2026, expanding its geographic scope.
- The report argues that the initiative has evolved around six priority sectors — water, agriculture, energy, physical and digital infrastructure, education and training, and health — while placing greater emphasis over the past year on digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
- Italian officials also present the Plan as increasingly aligned with the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy, suggesting a growing effort to integrate national priorities with broader European investment initiatives in Africa.
By the numbers:
- 18 partner countries.
- €5.5 billion in the Plan’s initial financial allocation.
- 76 projects currently under implementation.
- Two Italy-Africa summits, including the first ever held on African soil, in Addis Ababa in February 2026, with 35 delegations represented at the level of heads of state or government.
Around €1.2 billion approved by the Italian Climate Fund’s Technical Committee for 15 projects in Africa, including €936.7 million during the reporting period.
- €4 billion in SACE guarantees supporting investments across partner countries.
- €269 million in bilateral Italian credits being converted into development projects over a ten-year horizon.
Follow the money: A central theme of the report is the consolidation of the Plan’s financial architecture.
- The government points to framework cooperation with the World Bank, a partnership with the African Development Bank through the Mattei Plan–Rome Process Financing Facility, and European Commission guarantee instruments under TERRA and RISE. The report also cites cooperation with UNDP, IFC, IFAD, FAO and the African Finance Corporation.
- Taken together, these partnerships are presented as mechanisms to mobilize both public and private capital for projects across the Plan’s priority sectors.
Between the lines: Rather than portraying the Mattei Plan as a standalone foreign policy initiative, the report presents it as a whole-of-government approach.
- It highlights coordination among ministries, Italy’s development and export finance institutions — including CDP, SACE and SIMEST — as well as regional authorities, local governments, universities, civil society organizations and the African diaspora in Italy.
- That institutional narrative reinforces Rome’s broader message that the Plan is intended to function as a long-term framework rather than a collection of individual projects.
What they’re saying: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the Mattei Plan as “a fully operational strategy that is delivering tangible results.”
- She said that more than 70 projects have been launched together with African partners through “a solid financial architecture” capable of mobilizing public and private resources. Meloni added that Italy intends to strengthen what she described as “a partnership of equals, based on respect, mutual trust and shared development.”
The bottom line: The third implementation report marks an evolution in the government’s messaging on the Mattei Plan. Rather than focusing on the initiative’s launch or political vision, Rome is seeking to demonstrate execution through expanding country coverage, project delivery, financial commitments and closer coordination with European and international partners.
