Italy actively promotes initiatives aimed at strengthening its partnership with African countries, building on the three Italy–Africa Ministerial Conferences held at the Farnesina in May 2016, October 2018 and October 2021, which paved the way for the first Italy–Africa Summit hosted in Rome on 28–29 January 2024.
The Summit brought together representatives from 46 African countries—including 13 Heads of State and 8 Heads of Government—as well as 25 international organisations, 17 of which at the highest level. It offered an important opportunity for dialogue with African partners on key shared challenges, including those relevant to Italy’s Presidency of the G7 in 2024, during which Italy placed particular emphasis on Africa.
During the Summit, Italy launched the Mattei Plan for Africa, a programme inspired by an equal-partnership approach and designed to support the continent’s growth by focusing on five priority sectors: education and training; health; agriculture; water and energy; and infrastructure.