Madagascar and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have signed a five‑year Programme for Country Partnership (PCP) aimed at strengthening the island nation’s industrial competitiveness through greater local value addition, job creation and a shift towards a climate‑resilient economy.
The agreement, covering the period 2026–2030, was signed in Vienna on Wednesday by UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller and Madagascar’s Minister of Industrialisation and Private Sector Development, Ny Riana Nampoina Raharimanjato.
The PCP is UNIDO’s flagship model for accelerating sustainable industrial development and marks a significant expansion of the organisation’s cooperation with Madagascar.
It builds on the country’s 2019-2023 Country Programme and represents the first PCP initiative implemented in Madagascar.
Officials say the programme will help diversify the economy, strengthen industrial capacity, promote decent jobs for youth and women, and support the transition to low‑carbon, climate‑resilient growth.
Müller said the partnership provides a strategic framework to unlock Madagascar’s industrial potential, with planned interventions in agro‑industry, entrepreneurship, green energy, skills development and regional integration.
He said the PCP would help generate more local value and improve the country’s competitiveness in the Indian Ocean region.
Minister Raharimanjato described the programme as a shift from fragmented initiatives to a coordinated, government‑led approach to industrialisation.
He said the PCP aligns with Madagascar’s broader economic transformation agenda by placing industrial development at the centre of national planning.
Under the government’s leadership, the PCP will mobilise new partnerships, including with the private sector, to build a diversified and inclusive industrial base.
Both sides say the initiative will deepen cooperation and support Madagascar’s long‑term goal of advancing inclusive and sustainable industrial development.
JN/APA