Libya signs school textbook deal with Italian firm after scandals

On March 9, an agreement for the printing and supply of textbooks for the 2026–2027 academic year was signed at the Libyan Prime Minister’s office under the supervision of the newly appointed Minister of Education Mohamed Al-Grew, as reported by Libya Herald.

The agreement was signed between the Educational Curricula and Research Centre and the Italian company Rotolito as part of early preparations to ensure the availability of textbooks before the start of the new academic year, according to authorities in Tripoli.

This represents the first official initiative since the new education minister took office on March 7. Shortly after his appointment, Al-Grew held an extensive meeting with senior ministry officials and heads of affiliated agencies. According to The Libya Observer, the minister said the ministry had already begun implementing its 100-day plan aimed at improving Libya’s education sector.

Ensuring the timely supply of textbooks is a critical priority for the country’s nearly two million students, particularly after a series of corruption scandals that have shaken the education ministry in recent years.

Al-Grew’s predecessor, Ali al-Abed, was arrested following a scandal related to school textbook supply contracts. In November 2025, prosecutors revealed that al-Abed was under investigation for “irregularities in administrative and financial procedures” linked to contracts granted for printing school textbooks.

However, the controversy surrounding textbook procurement dates back even further. In March 2025, former education minister Moussa al-Megarief was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on corruption charges connected to a textbook shortage that affected schools in 2021.

The new agreement with the Italian company Rotolito also reflects growing cooperation between Italy and Libya in several sectors. Rome has maintained strong political and economic ties with Tripoli, with migration management remaining one of its primary strategic interests.

Italy has been particularly focused on controlling migration along the Central Mediterranean route, the main pathway used by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and other regions attempting to reach Italian and European shores.

On February 11, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to supporting cooperation with Libya under the Italy–Libya Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Migration.

However, Italy’s interests in Libya extend beyond migration policy. On the same day Piantedosi was in Tripoli to discuss migration flows, the Italian energy company Eni obtained a new offshore exploration license as part of an international bidding round launched by the National Oil Corporation (NOC), according to the Eni website.

In a country deeply divided by political rivalries and struggling with a worsening economic crisis, many Libyan citizens have grown increasingly frustrated with corruption scandals and political paralysis. Public protests have periodically erupted as people demand reforms and long-delayed national elections, which have not been held since 2014.

Libya Herald, Libya Observer, Eni Website, Maghrebi.org