• The third Africa-Spain summit aims to strengthen trade relationships, with bilateral trade totaling approximately $35 billion in the first half of 2024.

• Spain endeavors to boost its presence in Africa across key sectors including construction, renewable energy, water desalination, and pharmaceuticals.

The third Africa-Spain summit kicked off on Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Madrid. Gathering representatives of many nations, including Ivory Coast, Togo, and Somalia, Spain seeks to solidify its commercial ties with Africa.

Although the current Spanish presence in Africa is modest, the nation aspires to be a key player in several strategic sectors. According to RFI, these fields include construction, renewable energies, water desalination, and pharmaceuticals. The Spanish government also aims to leverage its new network of Chambers of Commerce in Africa to support vocational training, particularly for young people, as part of a strategy to combat irregular immigration.

"Africa is an immense continent and coordinated action and a realistic perspective are necessary [...] Two million Africans live in Spain, and we must dialogue with them," stated Spain's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío, as reported by the Atalayar platform.

This summit is part of Spain's broader strategy to enhance its economic and diplomatic ties with Africa through the Spain-Africa 2025-2028 plan. For Madrid, improving geographical proximity, securing strategic supplies (gas, oil, seafood), and positioning its companies in emerging African markets are priority goals.

Recent developments reveal this dynamism. In May, Ecofin Agency reported that Madrid financed a desalination plant in Morocco—the continent's largest—to the tune of $381 million, partnering with Moroccan players and Acciona. In Nigeria, Spain’s primary oil supplier, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in March 2025 for regular diplomatic consultations. Prior to that, Spain and Cameroon reached an agreement on small and medium enterprise incubator training in late 2023.

According to Trade Map data, Africa imported $20.7 billion worth of Spanish products in 2024, while Africa's exports to Spain reached $35.7 billion. Morocco remained Spain's leading trade partner in Africa, followed by countries like Algeria, Nigeria, Libya, and South Africa.

The future of Ibero-African relations will hinge on factors such as coordination with African continental frameworks like the AfCFTA and the 2063 Agenda. The ongoing summit raises questions about Spain’s ability to transform its announcements into foundational projects beyond its traditional partners in the continent. The emergence of new trade tensions, like the disputes over Moroccan tomatoes, could complicate some aspects of cooperation, particularly with the Maghreb region. Concrete progress in Spain's commitments will clarify the role it wishes to play in African value chains amid growing competition from countries like China, Turkey, and Gulf states.

Louis-Nino Kansoun