Morocco has unveiled its strategic roadmap for Africa’s sustainable development and integration during the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9) Summit, held this week in Yokohama, Japan.
Speaking at a high-level session on Thursday, Morocco’s ambassador to Japan, Mohamed Rachad Bouhlal, outlined King Mohammed VI’s Royal Vision, which places economic growth, peace, and security at the heart of the continent’s transformation agenda. He said the approach has already been translated into major projects that reinforce Morocco’s role as a pivotal regional actor.
Among the flagship initiatives is the Royal Atlantic Access Initiative, designed to grant Sahel landlocked nations maritime access through Moroccan ports, enabling them to integrate into global trade networks.
Bouhlal described the project as a key driver for building regional value chains and fostering shared prosperity across West and Central Africa.
Another cornerstone of Morocco’s strategy is the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project, termed a “generational corridor,” aimed at enhancing energy security, accelerating industrialisation, and promoting South-South co-development. Complementing this is the Rabat Process of African Atlantic States, highlighted as a major diplomatic lever for regional cooperation.
Human development also forms a central pillar of Morocco’s African outreach. The Kingdom currently partners with 49 African nations and trains thousands of students, engineers, and healthcare professionals annually. “Our scholarship and expertise transfer programme is designed to develop African expertise in Africa, for Africa,” Bouhlal stressed.
On peace and security, the ambassador underlined Morocco’s comprehensive approach, which views political stability and economic growth as inseparable. He recalled the Kingdom’s active role during its two mandates on the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, particularly in conflict prevention and crisis management.
Morocco’s active engagement at TICAD-9 reflects its determination to contribute to a peaceful, integrated, and prosperous Africa while deepening strategic ties with Asia, particularly Japan, in advancing the continent’s development agenda.
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