Mattei Plan: Italy Brings Its Financial Arm Closer to Côte d'Ivoire

Launched in 2024, the Mattei Plan aims to strengthen economic ties between Italy and Africa. In Côte d'Ivoire, its implementation has reached a major milestone, marked by growing investments across agriculture, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the Italian development finance institution instrumental in deploying the Mattei Plan for Africa, announced this week the opening of a permanent office in Côte d'Ivoire. According to a statement published on the website of the Ivorian Ministry of Planning and Development, the move represents a decisive step forward in economic cooperation between the two nations.

This establishment aligns with CDP's 2025–2027 strategic expansion plan, which was approved in December 2024. The institution already maintains representative offices in Cairo, Egypt, and Rabat, Morocco, and plans to open another location in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of the same strategy.

Why Now?

The establishment in Abidjan, coming two years after the initial expansion plan was unveiled, coincides with projects under the Mattei Plan in Côte d'Ivoire gaining substantial financial and operational momentum. Côte d'Ivoire is among the primary beneficiaries of this initiative, which focuses on education and vocational training, healthcare, food security, water, and energy.

During the second Italy-Africa Summit, held on February 13, 2026, in Addis Ababa, Italian authorities announced €639 million (approximately $733.8 million) in funding allocated to Côte d'Ivoire for the Mattei Plan's implementation. This announcement arrived two years after the launch of the strategy, marking its first formal progress review.

Agriculture remains a central pillar of this bilateral cooperation. On April 21, 2026, IFAD and the Ivorian government officially launched the North-East Agro-Industrial Hub (2PAI-NE). Valued at $344.5 million, the project spans the Zanzan region and aims to modernize farming systems, expand market access, and bolster climate resilience. Plans include developing approximately 2,200 hectares of hydro-agricultural land alongside investments in water access, productivity, and agro-industrial infrastructure.

The funding structure pools resources from IFAD, the African Development Bank, and CDP, making it a benchmark operation that directly reflects the Italian institution's involvement in Ivorian agricultural development.

In healthcare, another financial package involving CDP was being finalized in March 2026. Valued at €55 million, the project aims to construct and equip the Songon General Hospital while upgrading the National Institute of Health Worker Training (INFAS) branch in Abengourou. The structure comprises €30 million in concessional loans and €25 million from CDP's own capital resources, subject to final financial terms submitted to the Ivorian Ministry of Finance for approval.

For Côte d'Ivoire, a permanent CDP presence promises to streamline the identification and structuring of new projects across agriculture, infrastructure, and climate action. For Italy, it positions its flagship financial instrument directly on the ground, helping bridge public development aid with private sector investment. The key test will be whether this physical presence accelerates the transition of Mattei Plan projects into concrete financial and operational investments.