Laâyoune: An African Training Hub Praised by Ambassadors
Laâyoune: African Ambassadors Praise Royal Vision for Vocational Training Development
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, organized as part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Green March, was held under the theme: "Laâyoune, an Emerging Hub for Education and African Cooperation in Future Professions."
The diplomats emphasized that this Royal Vision positions Morocco as a pioneer in strengthening the skills of young African trainees across various strategic sectors. This meeting, organized by the Diplomatic Foundation, brought together ambassadors from Benin, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to learn about Morocco’s vocational training offerings and the main areas of South-South cooperation engaged by the Kingdom.
Driss Bettache, Director of Africa and International Partnerships at OFPPT, presented the roadmap dedicated to the development of vocational training, highlighting cooperation initiatives with African countries. He noted that OFPPT has signed 113 cooperation agreements, focusing on increasing the reception capacity of sub-Saharan trainees and enhancing training frameworks in partner countries.
According to him, 1,200 trainees from 36 African countries are currently receiving training at OFPPT institutions, totaling 9,570 trainees since 2005. Additionally, 975 African trainers have been trained since 2009. He also recalled the signing of a multilateral agreement in 2017 for the establishment of the African Alliance for the Development of Vocational Training.
The Cameroonian ambassador and dean of the accredited diplomatic corps in Rabat, Mohamoudou Youssoufou, praised the quality of Moroccan educational infrastructure. He highlighted that his country sends around twenty trainees each year under an exemplary partnership in vocational training.
Abdelati Habek, President of the Diplomatic Foundation, explained that this initiative aims to showcase a development model based on education, training, and innovation in the southern provinces. In Laâyoune, ambassadors discovered concrete projects that illustrate Morocco’s commitment to active and solidarity-based cooperation with Southern countries, particularly through expertise sharing and creating links between universities and training centers.
During their three-day visit (November 7-9), the diplomats participated in several meetings at institutions in the health, education, and vocational training sectors, including the Faculty of Medicine and the African Institute for Research in Sustainable Agriculture at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P).
At the conclusion of their trip, the ambassadors expressed admiration for the scale of structural projects underway in the region and the remarkable development dynamics of the Southern provinces. They emphasized that Moroccan Sahara is emerging as an integrated economic hub, a platform for opportunities, and a strategic crossroads open to Africa and the world.
