Morocco and AfDB sign agreements to support the emergence of digital universities
Hibapress
The Moroccan government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) signed, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 in Rabat, four financing agreements totaling 604 million euros in favor of the digitalization of universities, the competitiveness of territories and the development of the Kingdom’s forests.
This funding will make it possible to implement support programs to accompany the transition of universities towards a more digital, entrepreneurial and inclusive dynamic, to improve territorial competitiveness and to strengthen the integrated and sustainable development of forest areas, while financing the construction of a highway between Guercif and Nador, reports APO Group in a press release published on July 16.
The signing ceremony brought together the African Development Bank Country Manager for Morocco, Achraf Hassan Tarsim with the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka; the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Abdellatif Miraoui as well as Ryad Mezzour (Industry and Trade), Mohcine Jazouli (Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies), Fouzi Lekjaa (Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget) and the Director General of the National Agency for Water and Forests, Abderrahim Houmy.
The first loan agreement, worth €120 million, will finance the Transformation Support Program for a digital, entrepreneurial and inclusive university. It will support the objectives of the Plan to accelerate the transformation of the higher education, scientific research and innovation ecosystem (ESRI 2030), which takes into account the needs of the sectors, introduces entrepreneurship into the curriculum, and includes the territories to encourage excellence and innovation.
The second agreement, worth 200 million euros, will implement the Territorial Competitiveness Improvement Programme. It will help to boost and densify local industrial bases, attract more investors and create more local jobs.
Funded to the tune of 200 million euros, the 3rd operation will support the construction of the Guercif-Nador highway, 104 kilometers long. It will strengthen the connectivity and attractiveness of the Oriental region by linking the future port of Nador West Med and the industrial and logistics activity zone of Betoya.
The 4th agreement, worth a total of 84 million euros, will launch the Project to support the integrated and sustainable development of forest areas. It will not only act on the water cycle in times of severe drought but will also strengthen value chains, support forestry and aquaculture entrepreneurship and preserve biodiversity, while improving carbon sequestration capacities.
The African Development Bank has been operating in Morocco for over 50 years. It operates in the key sectors of health, human development, water, agriculture, energy, transport, and finance.
