The Mohammed VI Foundation for Sustainable Development has completed a vocational training complex in Bamako that will prepare young Malians for jobs in construction, public works, hospitality, tourism and foodservice.

The foundation will hand the facility to Malian authorities following instructions from Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

Built on a covered area of 5,200 square metres, the Mohammed VI Vocational Training Complex will accommodate nearly 1,000 trainees each year across 21 programmes.

Twelve programmes will cover construction and public works, while nine will focus on tourism, hospitality and catering.

However, neither the Moroccan authorities nor the foundation disclosed the amount spent on the Bamako project in the statements and reports reviewed.

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Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said the project formed part of the king’s support for Malian and African youth.

He said the initiative reflected Morocco’s approach to South-South cooperation through “solidarity, the sharing of expertise, the strengthening of local capacities” and sustainable human development.

Meanwhile, Mali’s Minister of National Entrepreneurship, Employment and Vocational Training, Oumou Sall Seck, welcomed the handover.

She described it as a “highly significant gesture” reflecting the historic relationship between Morocco and Mali.

Seck said the facility addressed “a strategic need for Mali in terms of skills development” and would strengthen human capital in sectors considered essential to the country’s economic growth.

The Bamako complex forms part of Morocco’s wider vocational training programme across Africa.

Morocco has supported similar facilities in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Gabon.

The projects include hospitality, tourism and construction training centres in Bamako, Abidjan and Conakry, as well as a transport and logistics centre in Libreville.

Beyond the physical centres, Morocco leads the African Alliance for the Development of Vocational Training.

The initiative brings together more than 20 African countries to promote expertise sharing, instructor training and programmes aligned with local labour markets.

Notably, several countries hosting the training centres also have mining interests linked to Managem, a Moroccan group controlled through the royal family’s Al Mada holding company.

These include the Tri-K gold mine in Guinea, the Etéké gold project in Gabon and gold exploration activities in Côte d’Ivoire. Managem also operates the Boto gold project in neighbouring Senegal.

The overlap reflects Morocco’s broader strategy of combining investment, skills development and economic cooperation across Africa.

The latest handover also deepens Morocco’s ties with Mali, one of Africa’s biggest gold producers and a market where Moroccan businesses have previously pursued investment opportunities.

Gold accounted for nearly 80 per cent of Mali’s exports in 2024, when the country produced about 51 tonnes, before industrial output fell from 54.8 tonnes that year to 42.2 tonnes in 2025 following disruptions at major mines, while artisanal miners added an estimated six tonnes.

Morocco’s Managem Group also previously sought to enter Mali’s gold industry through a $282 million agreement that included the Diakha-Siribaya project. However, the Mali transaction expired on December 31, 2024.

The Bamako complex now gives Morocco another way to strengthen its presence in Mali through skills development and youth employment. (Business Insider Africa)