Maputo, March 6, 2026 (Lusa) - A US$17 million project launched on Friday in Maputo aims to create 24,000 jobs and rebuild 150 infrastructures destroyed by terrorism in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Called Resilient Investment for Socio-Economic Empowerment, Peace and Security (RISE-PS), the project is expected to benefit more than 100,000 people and was launched today in Maputo by the Northern Integrated Development Agency (ADIN), aiming to boost economic recovery and strengthen social stability in the province of Cabo Delgado, which has been affected by armed attacks since 2017.
"Today we feel that the effort to transform a vision of the Government and its partners into concrete actions that will contribute to responding to the great pressures faced by the population, particularly the young people of Cabo Delgado, has been worthwhile," said Minister of Planning and Development Salim Valá at the ceremony.
The gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado has been the target of extremist attacks for more than eight years, with the first recorded on 5 October 2017 in the region of Mocímboa da Praia.
The initiative launched today is the result of nearly two years of technical work between the Mozambican government and international partners, with the aim of supporting economic reconstruction, promoting employment opportunities and strengthening the livelihoods of local communities.
With a duration of four years, RISE-PS plans to create around 24,000 job opportunities, with priority given to young people and women, in addition to direct support for more than 2,000 micro and small businesses and the training of 10,000 people in technical and business skills.
According to the minister, the programme includes a broader strategy for economic recovery in northern Mozambique, linking up with government initiatives such as the Northern Mozambique Resilience and Integrated Development Programme (PREDIN) and the Cabo Delgado Stabilisation Programme.
The governor of Cabo Delgado, Valige Tauabo, said at the launch of the project that the initiative represents an important step towards the economic recovery of the region and the creation of new opportunities for communities affected by violence.
"Our expectation, with the launch of this project, is to see the rehabilitation of around 150 public infrastructures destroyed by terrorist action," he said, adding that the programme also provides for support to more than 2,000 micro-enterprises led by young people and the legalisation of 500 new companies.
It will initially be implemented in the districts of Palma and Ancuabe, with the possibility of expansion to other areas of the province as stability and security conditions improve.
The vice-president of the Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA), Honório Manuel, said that the private sector sees the project as an opportunity to consolidate peace through economic development and the strengthening of local business activity.
"We are not only activating an economic recovery programme, we are also investing in the very substance of peace and the dignity of communities that have been marked by violence for too long," he said.
For his part, the resident representative of the African Development Bank in Mozambique, Rómulo Cunha Correia, highlighted the economic potential of Cabo Delgado and stressed that the development of major energy projects, including natural gas, could create new opportunities for local businesses, young people and women.
The initiative also provides for the distribution of 2,261 business kits to support new entrepreneurs, the legalisation of around 500 companies and the construction of a village of small and medium-sized enterprises in the region of Palma, linked to an industrial park.
EYMZ/AYLS // AYLS
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