The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a €99.1 million (US$111 million) loan to Mota-Engil Africa to strengthen mining services operations in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, with investments expected to improve productivity and reduce environmental impacts.
The financing will support the purchase of modern equipment, working capital requirements and the refinancing of recent investments at three mines across the two West African countries.
Replacing ageing machinery with newer, more environmentally friendly equipment is expected to lower fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Mota-Engil Africa, one of the continent’s leading engineering, construction and mining services companies, operates across major mining and infrastructure projects in Africa.
The EBRD funding is intended to strengthen the company’s operational capacity while promoting more sustainable mining activities.
The agreement also includes measures to develop local skills and expand employment opportunities. Mota-Engil Africa will enhance workforce training and establish nationally accredited technical training programmes in partnership with educational institutions in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal.
The programmes will equip participants with skills relevant to the modern mining industry and help build a pipeline of qualified local workers.
In addition, the company will introduce targeted initiatives to increase women’s participation in the mining sector. These measures will focus on recruiting, retaining and advancing women in technical, operational and leadership positions.
The workforce development and gender inclusion initiatives will receive support from a €200,000 technical cooperation programme provided by the EBRD under its Gender and Economic Inclusion Framework.
The investment comes as the EBRD expands its presence in sub-Saharan Africa, where it began investing in 2025. The bank has invested more than €620 million across Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal.
Its investments support private-sector growth and projects spanning financial services, infrastructure, energy, natural resources, telecommunications and agribusiness, reflecting its broader commitment to economic development across the region.
