Mauritania, Italy sign $3.4M project to boost food resilience and school enrollment
New initiative targets vulnerable regions through development and education support
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (MNTV) – Mauritania’s Food Security Commission has signed a new agreement with the Italian Cooperation to launch a three-year development project worth 1.3 billion old ouguiyas (approximately $3.4 million).
The initiative, titled Support for Food Resilience in Central and Eastern Mauritania, aims to enhance food security and increase school enrollment in some of the country’s most vulnerable regions.
Commissioner Fatima Mint Khatri said the project will strengthen the resilience of at-risk communities, noting that its focus is not only on food aid but also on long-term development.
One of the project’s core strategies involves linking food security to education by financing income-generating projects for the parents of schoolchildren, with the goal of encouraging families to send their children to school.
“This is about creating sustainable change,” Khatri said. “When parents are supported economically, they’re more likely to invest in their children’s education.”
The agreement is part of a broader set of initiatives supported by the Italian Cooperation, which Khatri praised for its significant contributions to food security efforts across Mauritania.
Italy’s ambassador to Mauritania welcomed the agreement and confirmed that more cooperation is in the pipeline.
According to her, future initiatives may include projects in the health sector, sustainable fishing, and groundwater management along the Senegal River.
She also emphasized the growing partnership between the two nations, particularly in green energy, where Mauritania is seen as a rising global producer.
“The potential here is vast,” she said. “Mauritania could soon become one of the world’s leading producers of green energy.”
The ambassador highlighted the strategic timing of this partnership, pointing to Mauritania’s presidency of the African Union and Italy’s presidency of the G7 as key factors that have helped strengthen ties.
As a result, Mauritania was included in the MATI Plan for Africa on January 9, 2025—a major Italian development initiative allocating €5.5 billion over four years across 14 African nations.
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