Nadia Fettah Alaoui: Mobilizing the Private Sector to Accelerate Major Transformations in Africa
The African Investment Forum 2025 (AIF 2025) kicked off in Rabat with a clear message from the Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, calling on the private sector to play a pivotal role in accompanying the major transformations taking place on the African continent.
The minister emphasized that the private sector’s capacities in investment, innovation, manufacturing, and value creation position it as a fundamental actor in supporting energy, digital, industrial, agricultural, and logistical transitions across Africa. She asserted that public funding, while necessary, is no longer sufficient on its own. She highlighted the need to expand the investor base, attract more private capital, and develop innovative financing mechanisms.
According to Fettah Alaoui, this call aligns with an international trend aimed at enhancing the role of the private sector in sustainable development. It also corresponds with the priorities of the African Development Bank (AfDB), which focuses on structural transformation, expanding access to financing, supporting small and medium enterprises, and strengthening public-private partnerships as central to its programs.
On the national front, Morocco reaffirmed its commitment to a strategic vision led by King Mohammed VI, aiming to raise the share of private investment to two-thirds of national investment by 2035, compared to about one-third currently. To achieve this transformation, Morocco has commenced a series of reforms, including adopting a new investment charter, enhancing support for very small and small-to-medium enterprises, improving the business climate, and expanding recourse to public-private partnerships, as well as activating the Mohammed VI Investment Fund.
The AIF 2025 will continue until November 28, serving as a platform that brings together entrepreneurs, financiers, governments, and key partners to formulate effective investments that address the transformations and structural challenges facing the continent.
