By Summary
- Spain reaffirmed its commitment to Africa’s youth at the Rabat Process Meeting in Abuja.
- Ambassador Mendez highlighted education, innovation, and well-managed migration as keys to shared prosperity.
- Spain announced new initiatives and praised Nigeria’s youth-focused leadership.
Abuja, Nigeria – May 13, 2025
The Kingdom of Spain has reaffirmed its deep commitment to Africa’s youth and its enduring partnership with the continent at the Rabat Process Thematic Meeting on Youth, Education, Innovation, and Migration, currently underway in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening of the high-level gathering, Her Excellency, Ambassador Pilar Mendez Jimenez, who co-chairs the Rabat Process alongside Nigeria, delivered a stirring address that underscored Spain’s belief in migration as a force for good when effectively managed.
“Migration, when well-governed, is a driver of shared prosperity,” Ambassador Mendez said. “To Africa’s youth, we say: we hear you, we want you safe, and we want you to succeed.”
The two-day event has drawn ministers, civil society leaders, youth representatives, and migration experts from across Africa and Europe, focusing on collaborative strategies to harness the continent’s growing youth population for sustainable development.
Ambassador Mendez praised Nigeria’s leadership of the Rabat Process and lauded the efforts of Ambassador Catherine Udida and her team for organising the meeting. “We are grateful for the warm hospitality of the Nigerian people and for the country’s strong emphasis on youth, education, innovation, and regular migration pathways — priorities that Spain wholeheartedly shares,” she said.
In her remarks, Ambassador Mendez highlighted the Spanish Strategy for Africa, which promotes sustainable development, regular migration, and shared prosperity. As part of this framework, Spain will soon launch a council on Africa, a new advisory body composed of prominent African professionals to help shape inclusive partnerships.
She emphasised the need for collective action as Africa’s working-age population is projected to increase by 450 million by 2050. “This is not just a demographic trend — it’s a call to action. Youth leadership and innovation are essential for our shared future,” she said.
Ambassador Mendez also spotlighted Spain’s investments in education and research. She noted Spain’s key role in launching the Erasmus Program in 1987 — now one of the EU’s most successful youth mobility initiatives. In 2023 alone, Spain welcomed 195,000 students through Erasmus+, with Nigerian students ranked as the top African beneficiaries and the second-largest group globally.
Spain is also a leader in Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research program, and collaborates with African institutions on green technology, digital innovation, and inclusive growth.
The ambassador emphasised the importance of a collaborative migration strategy, citing the joint work of two Spanish and two Nigerian ministries as an example of a whole-of-government approach aligned with the UN Global Compact on Migration.
She also celebrated the unprecedented inclusion of civil society and youth diaspora voices at the meeting, calling it a “whole-of-society” model that should shape global migration policy.
Ending her address with a direct appeal to the continent’s youth, Ambassador Mendez declared: “Your success is the success of your countries and those that welcome you. Spain — the EU country closest to Africa — holds you close in our hearts.”
The Rabat Process, established in 2006, serves as a key inter-regional platform for dialogue and cooperation on migration between Africa and Europe. As co-chairs, Spain and Nigeria are steering this year’s dialogue towards inclusive, youth-focused, and forward-looking solutions.
The meeting continues tomorrow with panel discussions and commitments aimed at strengthening pathways for youth empowerment and migration governance.
