The 2026 Italy-Africa Summit will convene in Addis Ababa this week on the margins of the African Union Summit, as the Mattei Plan for Africa enters its implementation phase. Two years after its launch, the Plan is moving from commitments towards delivery, with partners assessing progress and reinforcing alignment with African priorities.
The African Development Bank Group continues to serve as Italy's strategic financial partner for the Mattei Plan. Bank Group president, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, is engaging with partners during the Summit to reaffirm Africa-led delivery and underscore the African Development Fund's role in extending the Plan's benefits to low-income and fragile countries.
"What matters most is delivery, solutions that respond to Africa's priorities and generate tangible benefits. Italy's decision to channel support through the African Development Bank reflects confidence in African-led platforms to translate commitments into measurable results," said Dr Ould Tah.
Announced at the January 2024 Italy-Africa Summit with an initial commitment of EUR 5.5 billion, the Mattei Plan reflects a shift toward investment-led, partnership-based cooperation. Through its financing instruments, convening power, and project pipeline, the Bank Group supports implementation across 14 African countries, deploying capital, strengthening infrastructure, and creating opportunities for public and private investors.
A Strategic Partnership
A central pillar of the Bank Group's partnership with Italy is the Rome Process/Mattei Plan Financing Facility, a multi-donor special fund approved by the Bank Group's Board of Governors in February 2025. The Facility was anchored by an initial contribution of EUR 100 million from Italy, followed by a USD 25 million grant from the United Arab Emirates. Denmark joined in December 2025 with a commitment of DKK 70 million, approximately EUR 9.3 million, reflecting the Facility's expanding and diversified donor base.
In 2025, the Facility approved four operations totalling EUR 28 million, supporting climate-resilient water access in Ethiopia, infrastructure for agriculture in Angola, renewable energy development in Mauritania, and clean cooking solutions in Kenya.
Beyond the Facility, the Mattei Plan aligns with regional integration initiatives supported by the Bank Group. The Lobito Corridor railway project exemplifies this approach. In June 2025, the Bank signed a Letter of Intent with Zambia to advance the corridor linking mineral-producing regions in Central and Southern Africa to the Atlantic coast via Angola. Italy has committed USD 300 million to the project alongside the United States.
"Italy is profoundly committed to cultivating a new era of partnership with African nations, as envisioned by the Mattei Plan. The Rome Process/Mattei Plan Financing Facility is a cornerstone of this commitment, translating shared goals into tangible projects that support economic growth and climate resilience," said Lorenzo Ortona, Head of the Mattei Plan Task Force, during the first in-person meeting of the Facility's Governing Council in Rabat, Morocco last November.
Extending Impact through Concessional and Blended Finance
Italy is a long-standing partner of the African Development Fund (ADF), with a pledge of EUR 366 million to its seventeenth replenishment and cumulative contributions of EUR3.1 billion as of December 2025. Italy supports the Fund's core mandate, with a strong emphasis on concessionality, debt sustainability, and results-oriented delivery. It also prioritizes technical assistance and capacity building to enable eligible countries to access additional sources of financing.
The Mattei Plan is supported through a set of complementary instruments hosted by the African Development Bank Group. These include the Growth and Resilience Platform for Africa, which focuses on facilitating private sector investment; and platforms such as the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa and the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, which reinforce support for Africa's green transition.
Together, these instruments reflect a coordinated approach that combines concessional finance, blended solutions, and private capital mobilisation to support infrastructure development, climate resilience, and sustainable growth across African countries.
A Model for Cooperation
The Mattei Plan has emerged as a reference point for cooperation between Africa, Italy, and international partners, reflecting a broader shift toward coordinated frameworks that combine public finance, private investment, and policy dialogue.
As implementation accelerates, the partnership between the African Development Bank Group and Italy demonstrates how structured development finance can leverage capital at scale and deliver results aligned with African priorities, long-term growth, and shared prosperity.
