Italy Pushes for Deeper Africa Partnership as Meloni Calls for “Building Together” Under Mattei Plan

Italy has pledged to expand and strengthen its cooperation with African nations as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addressed dozens of leaders at the second Italy‑Africa Summit and the first ever held on African soil. The gathering in Addis Ababa served as a review of the early phase of Italy’s Mattei Plan, a strategy launched in 2024 to shift from traditional aid to investment‑driven partnerships across key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, agriculture and digital development.

Meloni told African heads of state that the success of the initiative depends on Italy’s willingness to “draw from African wisdom” and adapt to the priorities of partner nations. “We want to build things together,” she said. “We want to be more consistent with the needs of the countries involved.”

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed praised the initiative, saying Italy had opened a “gateway to Europe” for African economies. He urged leaders to move beyond dialogue and into concrete action. “By combining Africa’s energetic and creative population with Europe’s experience, technology and capital, we can build solutions that deliver prosperity to our continents and beyond,” he said.

Following the summit, African leaders remained in Addis Ababa for the annual African Union Summit, where discussions on economic integration and development continued.

Kenyan writer and political analyst Nanjala Nyabola noted that the impact of such summits depends heavily on preparation by African governments. Too often, she said, leaders focus on “optics instead of actually making summits a meaningful engagement.” She argued that countries should arrive with clear assessments of national needs and use the platform to negotiate how partnerships can address them.

According to the Italian government, the Mattei Plan has already engaged 14 African nations and launched or advanced around 100 projects across energy and climate transition, food security, infrastructure, healthcare, water, education, cultural initiatives, workforce training and even artificial intelligence development.

Italy’s message in Addis Ababa was clear: it wants to position itself as a long‑term partner in Africa’s growth but insists that the partnership must be shaped jointly, not imposed.