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Join on Telegram Rabat – The U.S. government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Moroccan government celebrated today the closure of the $460.5 million Employability and Land Compact, marking the end of a 5-year grant that expanded education and employment opportunities and improved land productivity for hundreds of thousands in Morocco.
Alice Albright, MCC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), joined the head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch in Rabat for a closeout ceremony commemorating MCC’s partnership with Morocco and the program’s achievements in the country’s education and land sectors.
“Today, we celebrate another milestone in the United States’ centuries-long friendship with the people of Morocco,” said Albright.
Speaking about the program’s remarkable achievements, Albright said, “Working together, the compact advances economic growth in Morocco by building and reforming the education and land sectors to meet the private sector’s growing demand for skilled employees and to increase the productivity of rural and industrial land zones.”
“We expect the compact will improve the lives of over 800,000 Moroccans,” she added.
For his part, Akhannouch stressed that “the second compact represents another example of the strategic partnership between Morocco and the US, serving as a lever for development and for the upgrading of infrastructure in key sectors, as well as supporting Morocco’s institutional and structural reforms.”
The head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch
Land Productivity Improvements
The MCC-Morocco compact helped pave the way for more private sector investment and increased land ownership for women.
The program granted formal titles for over 37,000 hectares of land, with women comprising more than 40% of title holders. In total, at least 48,000 small-scale farmers and their families are expected to benefit from the program, detailed the press release.
The closeout ceremony commemorating MCC’s partnership with Morocco
Additionally, the Center for Women’s Land Tenure was launched in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, to support the collection of data related to women’s access to land and their participation in land governance. The center aims to raise public awareness on issues related to women’s land rights.
The program has also led to the establishment of the Bouznika Park Industries Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Casablanca, which is expected to attract an additional $75 million in investments from companies occupying the park and will result in the creation of 4,000 jobs.
Education and Human Capital Improvements
Through the compact, MCC and the Moroccan government strengthened secondary school management, promoting student-centered learning, and improving the physical learning environment.
“Reaching 90 schools across three regions of Morocco, approximately 550,000 students will benefit over the next 20 years,” detailed the press release.
Morocco and the US have also launched a learning management mobile application that allows students, parents, teachers, and administrators access to real-time data on grades, attendance, homework, and lesson plans.
MCC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alice Albright and the head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch
Additionally, the construction of 15 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centers was launched with the aim of providing special training for vulnerable women and youth.
The Morocco Employability and Land Compact was launched with the goal of strengthening the US-Morocco commitment to supporting sustainable economic growth. It created inclusive and innovative economic opportunities that better respond to private sector and investor needs.
“As of December 2022, 5,062 Moroccans have received job placement services, including 3,650 women,” the press release concluded.
