The International University of Rabat and Banque Populaire Afrique have signed an agreement at GITEX Africa Morocco 2026 to finance studies for students from sub-Saharan Africa.
Noureddine Mouaddib, President of the International University of Rabat, said: “Today, we signed an agreement as part of GITEX with Banque Populaire Afrique for a project that is important for the International University of Rabat, which is the financing of studies for students from sub-Saharan Africa.”
He said international student mobility is rising. “There are more than 500,000 African students who study outside Africa. Our objective is to see how we can capture part of this population so they come to study in Morocco and begin to make Morocco a hub for the knowledge economy.”
He said financial support is often needed. “We must support these students with additional funding for their studies.”
He pointed to the economic impact of international education. “In the United States, foreign students pay close to 40 billion dollars in tuition. England is close to 30 billion dollars and so on.”
He said the benefits go beyond income. “Beyond the knowledge economy and its financing, it is also soft power. When foreign students study in a country and then return home or move elsewhere, they keep a relationship and soft power link with the country where they studied.”
He described the aim of the partnership. “Our objective, with the support of Banque Populaire Afrique, is to attract this population and offer a package for their studies and for financing their studies.”
He added the bank has long supported the university. “Banque Populaire has supported the university since 2010, for 15 years since its creation, as a shareholder. We are very happy to work with Banque Populaire in the interest of our country and to make our country a hub of the African knowledge economy.”
Othmane Tajeddine, Director General at Banque Populaire, said the deal reflects the bank’s strategy. “This agreement illustrates the interest of the BCP Group in financing and developing higher education in Morocco and in Africa.”
He added: “Quality higher education will allow our continent to secure its future, build it and sustain it.”
He said the group is investing in people. “BCP strongly believes in the development of African human capital and that is why we are deploying strong efforts to ensure financing and African academic mobility.”
He concluded: “This agreement illustrates an additional building block in everything we want to do in this area.”
