Laâyoune: An African Training Hub Praised by Ambassadors
Laâyoune: African Ambassadors Praise Royal Vision for Vocational Training
On Sunday, a delegation of African ambassadors accredited to Morocco praised the Royal Vision for the development of vocational training during their visit to the City of Trades and Skills (CMC) in Laâyoune. This initiative was organized as part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Green March and was themed “Laâyoune, an emerging hub of education and African cooperation in future professions.”
The diplomats emphasized that this Royal Vision positions Morocco as a pioneering actor in strengthening the skills of young African trainees in various strategic sectors. The gathering, organized by the Diplomatic Foundation, brought together ambassadors from Benin, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to explore the professional training opportunities and the major aspects of South-South cooperation engaged by the Kingdom.
Driss Bettache, the Director of Africa and International Partnerships at the OFPPT (Office for the Professional Training and Employment Promotion), presented the roadmap dedicated to the development of vocational training, highlighting cooperation initiatives with African countries. He noted that the OFPPT has signed 113 cooperation agreements, focusing on increasing the capacity for hosting trainees from Sub-Saharan Africa and enhancing training systems in partner countries.
According to him, 1,200 trainees from 36 African countries are currently undergoing training in institutions under the OFPPT, making a total of 9,570 trainees since 2005. Additionally, 975 African trainers have been trained since 2009. He also recalled the signing, in 2017, of a multilateral agreement to create the African Alliance for the Development of Vocational Training.
Cameroonian Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps accredited in Rabat, Mohamoudou Youssoufou, praised the quality of Morocco’s educational infrastructure. He emphasized that his country sends around twenty trainees each year as part of an exemplary partnership in vocational training.
Abdelati Habek, President of the Diplomatic Foundation, explained that this initiative aims to highlight a development model based on education, training, and innovation in the Southern provinces. In Laâyoune, the ambassadors discovered concrete projects exemplifying Morocco’s commitment to active and solidarity-based cooperation with Southern countries, particularly through the sharing of expertise and the creation of links between universities and training centers.
During their three-day visit (November 7-9), the diplomats participated in several meetings at establishments in the health, education, and vocational training sectors, including the Faculty of Medicine and the African Institute for Sustainable Agricultural Research at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P).
At the conclusion of their visit, the ambassadors expressed their admiration for the scope of the structural projects undertaken in the region and the remarkable development momentum of the Southern provinces. They underscored that Moroccan Sahara is establishing itself as an integrated economic hub, a platform of opportunities, and a strategic crossroads open to Africa and the world.
