Italian foundation Med Or opens first African office in Nairobi
Med-Or Italian Foundation Chairman Marco Minniti at a past function. The Foundation has opened the first African office in Nairobi.
The Med Or Italian Foundation for Africa has officially registered in Kenya, marking the establishment of its first office on the continent.
The move positions Kenya as a strategic hub for the foundation’s engagement across Africa, underscoring its commitment to deepening partnerships in diplomatic, cultural, scientific, and economic sectors.
The registration comes four years after the foundation was created in Italy. Established in 2021 by the Italian aerospace and defence company Leonardo, it evolved into the Med Or Italian Foundation on 1 January 2025, with several major Italian industrial groups joining as members.
This expansion, a dispatch said, highlights the foundation’s growing international focus and its mission to foster collaboration between Italy and regions spanning the Mediterranean, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and beyond.
It normally operates as a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening bilateral ties through research, education, training, and public–private cooperation. It aims to promote development initiatives in strategic areas such as geopolitics, climate, technology, and sustainability.
“Four years after the establishment of our foundation, we are proud to announce the opening of our first office abroad — to work in Africa, with Africa,” said Med Or Chairman Marco Minniti, indicating readiness to engage with the continent.
Among its core activities are commissioning strategic research, organising specialised training programmes, and facilitating dialogue among governments, institutions, and the private sector. Notably, the foundation has launched CyberBridge, a training initiative designed to enhance digital resilience in African countries through targeted capacity-building and policy engagement.
Kenya was chosen as the location for Med Or’s first international office due to its pivotal role as a regional diplomatic and economic hub.
Its offices will be situated in Nairobi’s Gigiri area — home to numerous United Nations agencies, embassies, and foreign missions.
Strategic collaboration
The Kenyan office will be headed by Umberto Tavolato, Director for Special Projects. According to the foundation, the Kenya office will oversee initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable development, strengthening resilience, and enhancing cooperation between Italy and African governments, institutions, and organisations.
Its presence in Kenya could also boost knowledge transfer, training opportunities and strategic collaboration, particularly in areas where Italy and the European Union maintain economic and diplomatic interests.
The organisation comes at a time Nairobi has told partners it is opening up to host more international organisations. This year, Nairobi began welcoming more office relocations by some UN agencies such as UNFPA and UN Women, who have more some departments from New York to nairobi.
The official inauguration of the Nairobi office is scheduled for February 2026.
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