Rabat, March 12, 2025 – A strategic meeting was held between the Director General of CAFRAD, Dr. Coffi Dieudonné ASSOUVI, and the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Country Manager for Morocco, His Excellency Mr. Achraf TARSIM, accompanied by Mr. Richard Antonin DOFFONSOU, Lead Country Economist for Morocco and Libya. This meeting marked an important step in the shared commitment of both institutions to enhance their collaboration on public governance and institutional development in Africa.

On this occasion, Dr. ASSOUVI presented an overview of CAFRAD, from its history to its current vision, highlighting the reforms undertaken to improve the organization’s efficiency. He emphasized the importance of repositioning CAFRAD as a key player in strengthening administrative capacities across the continent, while also underscoring the major challenges the institution is currently facing, particularly in terms of financial sustainability.

A constructive dialogue followed, focusing on the opportunities for cooperation between the two institutions. In this regard, His Excellency Mr. Achraf TARSIM praised Dr. Coffi’s commitment and the prestigious history of CAFRAD, highlighting the institution’s pioneering role in promoting public governance in Africa. He expressed AfDB’s support for this historic African institution through closer collaboration, noting that CAFRAD’s extensive experience represents a strategic asset for the development of African public administrations.

The discussions also addressed CAFRAD’s concerning financial situation, exacerbated by the non-payment of contributions from some member states. Dr. Coffi outlined the measures being implemented to address this issue, with the goal of achieving greater financial autonomy.

The dialogue also highlighted the need for CAFRAD to diversify its sources of funding through partnerships and a regional cooperation strategy. The AfDB Country Manager recommended expanding partnerships with other international financial institutions such as the IMF or UNESCO. This diversification is seen as essential to ensuring the sustainability of CAFRAD’s projects.

Another key focus of the meeting was cooperation with African National Schools of Administration (ENAs). Dr. ASSOUVI reiterated that CAFRAD offers customized training programs tailored to the realities of African countries and seeks to establish strong partnerships with ENAs in order to strengthen the capacity of civil servants across the continent.

Opening Up to New Horizons

CAFRAD is also positioning itself within a broader perspective of expansion and international outreach. In this context, the possibility of collaborating with Portuguese-speaking countries such as Portugal and Brazil was discussed, with a view to mobilizing funding for projects in the areas of training and governance. The AfDB expressed its willingness to support CAFRAD in this drive toward broader international cooperation.

The meeting concluded with mutual thanks and a strong commitment to pursuing the collaborative avenues discussed. This encounter marks an important milestone in CAFRAD’s strategy to mobilize new partners and ensure the long-term impact of its initiatives in Africa.