Mayotte

AFD has been alerted to a wave of fraudulent emails in Mayotte and Martinique that misuse its name and logo. These messages are being circulated on the internet, particularly on social media and by email. They falsely claim to come from local elected officials and are used to solicit funds from individuals.

As a reminder, AFD primarily finances sustainable development projects and is not authorized to provide funding to individuals. AFD urges both professionals and private individuals to remain extremely vigilant and to avoid responding to such requests.

We encourage you to read this page carefully: Fraud Alert

The department of Mayotte faces major challenges in meeting the needs of a rapidly growing population (the population has doubled in the past 20 years). Access to essential services is marked by significant inequalities across multiple sectors. One in three homes does not have access to running water, health and social services remain under-resourced, and the lack of adequate public transportation contributes to isolation and socioeconomic exclusion, particularly among women.

AFD is working to structure the technical aspects of infrastructure projects and to support local authorities' capital investment policies in water and sanitation, transportation, waste collection and processing and access to culture, sports and digital technology.

AFD also supports efforts to strengthen healthcare provision, including the Mayotte Hospital Center and multidisciplinary medical centers, as well as the development of the medico-social sector, such as services for people with disabilities and those requiring long-term care.

Mayotte's young population (nearly 50% of the population is under 18) means the island faces considerable needs in education, whether in terms of infrastructure, equipment or adjustments to teaching.

While Mayotte has had a fully functioning education authority since 2020, schooling remains a notable issue in a department where 37% of primary-level classes operate on a rotating basis and less than 60% of three-year-olds are enrolled in preschool. Expanding higher and professional education in Mayotte is also essential to improving access to jobs.

To tackle these problems, AFD funds and supports local authorities in defining, steering and financing programs to build and update education infrastructure. The agency's Overseas Fund and partnerships with government services have helped to provide 1.5 million euros in project management support to boost and accelerate multiple school building and renovation projects.

With its reef-lagoon complex covering nearly 1,500 km², Mayotte is home to a unique living natural heritage. The mangroves, wetlands, and forests shelter more than 1,000 plant species and 140 bird species. These ecosystems are, however, highly vulnerable to human pressures, including land degradation and environmental pollution.

Economic development should be encouraged in a responsible way, with special attention paid to projects' positive and negative externalities. AFD is encouraging the development of eco-tourism and local and sustainable agriculture, along with processing and distribution channels that encourage formal employment, particularly for women.

AFD is also supporting associations' and public partners' initiatives to raise awareness and help protect the environment. 

Although Mayotte shares strong social, cultural, linguistic, and historical ties with the Comoros archipelago, the island is part of a distinct regional context marked by significant economic and cultural diversity. This includes nearby territories such as Reunion, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania. In this complex environment, regional synergies remain largely underutilized.

As part of its Mayotte 2022-2026 strategy, AFD is specifically encouraging initiatives to increase economic, environmental and healthcare synergies between Mayotte and other countries and territories in the southwest Indian Ocean. It is financing cooperative initiatives designed to harness complementarities between regions and encourage environmentally responsible production and export sectors while promoting biodiversity, notably by working with civil society organizations.