Morocco is working to position itself as a regional hub for artificial intelligence and digital technologies, Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah said on Thursday, outlining a broader strategy that places innovation at the center of the Kingdom’s development model.
Speaking in Tangier during the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, held as part of the 58th session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Fettah said the objective is to strengthen Morocco’s role in emerging digital sectors while accelerating its economic transformation.
She explained that this ambition is backed by sustained investments in digital infrastructure and a series of national strategies aimed at speeding up digitalization across the economy.
According to the minister, Morocco’s approach focuses on expanding access to high-speed internet, developing e-government services, and strengthening digital skills, particularly among young people. These efforts are also designed to foster the emergence of a dynamic digital ecosystem capable of generating employment and attracting investment.
Fettah said innovation has become a key driver of productivity, noting that the integration of advanced technologies is increasingly shaping both economic power and geopolitical influence.
She added that Morocco’s digital transition is part of a broader vision led by King Mohammed VI, under which innovation has been elevated to a strategic priority in national development policies.
At the continental level, the minister reaffirmed that Morocco views its future as closely linked to that of Africa, highlighting a long-standing policy of cooperation based on solidarity, partnership, and shared development.
Fettah stressed that national strategies alone are no longer sufficient to address the scale of economic and societal transformations underway, calling for stronger continental coordination.
Enhanced African integration, she said, could enable countries to pool investments, share resources, exchange expertise, and build larger, more interconnected markets.
In this context, she called on African financial institutions to expand their role beyond mobilizing funding to providing strategic support that promotes sustainable and inclusive growth.
The conference, which brings together ministers, central bank governors, policymakers, and private sector leaders, is examining how technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, and advanced data systems can drive structural transformation across African economies.
Discussions are expected to result in recommendations on digital sovereignty, data governance, innovation-led growth, and increased investment in digital and energy infrastructure, as African countries seek to better position themselves in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
