Executive Summary
While the Mattei plan for Africa aspires to become an example for the EU on how to create an economic partnership with African Countries and expand to become a project supported by the EU community, this policy brief discusses whether this project could expand EU’s economy or risks to perpetuating a control-oriented perspective with its current focus on energy and resources extraction.
Introduction
On the 13th of February in Addis Ababa, the second Italy-Africa summit took place. This meeting corresponds to the second meeting part of the ‘Mattei Plan for Africa and the Global Gateway.’ It is the first time this meeting has been held in Africa, with the intent of centering Africa in the strategic decision and opening the continent to a more inclusive discussion.
What is the ‘Mattei plan for Africa’?
While the partnership between this region has been active since 2013, the plan was launched in 2024. The plan is a strategic cooperation aimed towards development launched by the Italian government to strengthen the economic, energetic and diplomatic ties with 14 African countries (see image A). The plan addresses six areas of intervention: instruction, health, water, agriculture, energy and Infrastructures. Some projects include debt mitigation, more partnerships, investing in agriculture and food security, commitment to boosting cooperation on digital and infrastructure, sustainable water management, focus on education and children.
The plan is now presented as an opportunity for EU countries to enhance the European Global Gateway in Sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting Europe’s political will to view Africa as an economic partner. Indeed, Italy’s aligning its overlapping areas of interest with the EU’s Global Gateway and the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) (Saad Jaldi, Cercaci, 2025), which reveal an opportunity for collaborations on projects such as the commitment to Debt Conversion for 235 millions, AI HUB for startups, Blue-raman internet Cable and Lobito Corridor and reveal that further cooperation between the EU and Sub-Saharan Africa is possible on the themes of agriculture, education, and environmental sustainability.
Discussion/Analysis
The plan has not come without issues and criticisms. Indeed, President Moussa Faki Mahamat in 2024 explained that youths would have appreciated being consulted before the launch of the plan and called for an implementation of the projects which have been presented but not yet implemented, which reveals that the partnership is unbalanced and there isn’t much trust towards it. This is exemplified by two recent projects which have attracted major criticism:
1. Lobito Corridor, which aims to connect Angola, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo to facilitate the export of raw materials, providing infrastructures, regional development and jobs. However, the design could risk serving only the extractions of raw materials, without a real inclusion of local needs.
2. In Kenya, farmers have been contracted to produce castor oil, which is brought to Italy to produce hydrocarbons. The project has been criticised because it could lead farmers to abandon food crops in favour of biofuels, thereby endangering national food production. Furthermore, while it aimed to give work to 400.000 farmers, this goal has not been met, as data show that farmers have been paid the equivalent of 1 euro per barrel of oil produced, yielding little advantage for Kenya.
Policy Recommendations
If not structured correctly, this plan, which has the potential to become a mutual benefit for Italy and Europe as it could strengthen the business relationship between Europe and Africa, risks perpetuating colonial power dynamics and mistrust towards the European parties. Below are some policy recommendations:
1. Deliver in accordance with AfCFTA and the Agenda 2063, to collaborate with local knowledge to create a long term industrial plan which respects African interests and priorities to integrate the African economy in the World Economy, and not perpetuate an extractive system.
2. Support local supply chains by delivering local workshops and collaborating with local people to understand the regions’ needs and build strategic infrastructures.
3. Collaborate with local universities to foster research and understand what the area’s needs are.
4. Collaborate with France, Turkey, UAE and other countries who have economic and interests’ relations in the regions. (Marchal, 2023) and others to coordinate the interventions and not create clashes of interests that could disadvantage the local economies.
5. Consider how the cut of Aid is reshaping the continent and find solutions which do not increase waste problems and perpetuate inequalities, dependence from Europe.
Image A: Mattei plan for Africa: participating countries
Green: Initial phase (2024)
Red: Second phase (2025)
Source: Wikipedia. Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Mattei_per_l%27Africa
Reference List
African Union (2024) ‘Speech by H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, at the Italy – Africa Summit: A Bridge for Common Growth’. Available at: https://jacobinitalia.it/il-piano-mattei-e-lolio-di-ricino/ [Accessed 24th Feb 2026].
Benegiamo, M., Bini, V. (2025) ‘Il Piano Mattei e l’olio di Ricino’, Jacobin Italia. Available at: https://jacobinitalia.it/il-piano-mattei-e-lolio-di-ricino/ [Accessed 24th Feb 2026].
Marchal, R. (2023) ‘France and Italy in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cooperation, Rivalries and Reconfigurations’, ISPI, Available at: https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/france-and-italy-in-sub-saharan-africa-cooperation-rivalries-and-reconfigurations-138283. [Accessed 24th Feb 2026].
Muliro, A. (2023) ‘Rethinking Piano Mattei: Can Italy truly forge a genuine partnership?’, Society for International Development. Available at: https://www.sidint.org/sid-blogs/rethinking-piano-mattei [Accessed 24th Feb 2026].
Saad Jaldi, A., Cercaci, A. (2025) ‘The Mattei Plan: Recasting Cooperation Through Strategy and Branding’, Policy Center for the New South Available at: https://www.policycenter.ma/publications/mattei-plan-recasting-cooperation-through-strategy-and-branding. [Accessed 24th Feb 2026].Zaurrini, M. (2023) ‘Trade, Investment and Economic Presence: Italy’s Evolving Role in Sub-Saharan Africa’, ISPI, Available at: https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/trade-investment-and-economic-presence-italys-evolving-role-in-sub-saharan-africa-138286. [Accessed 24th Feb 2026].