$28M RISE-PS Project Launched to Rebuild Northern Mozambique Economy

The Government of Mozambique, the African Development Bank Group, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a $28 million multi-partner initiative aimed at restoring livelihoods, strengthening peace, and stimulating economic growth in northern Mozambique after years of conflict and instability.

The Resilient Investment for Socio-Economic Empowerment, Peace and Security (RISE-PS) project will focus on the districts of Palma and Ancuabe in Cabo Delgado province, where insecurity has disrupted local economies, displaced thousands of residents and weakened community infrastructure.

Multi-Partner Investment to Stabilize Cabo Delgado

The initiative is financed through a blended investment package totaling $28 million, bringing together contributions from international institutions, development partners, private investors and the Mozambican government.

Funding includes:

• $17 million from the African Development Bank's Transition Support Facility

• $4.2 million from UNDP

• $2.4 million from the Government of Germany

• $3.1 million from private sector partners

• $1.3 million in counterpart funding from the Government of Mozambique

Implementation will be led by the Northern Integrated Development Agency (ADIN), with technical and operational support from UNDP.

Tens of Thousands to Benefit from Jobs and Training

The project aims to deliver direct economic opportunities and social support to communities heavily affected by conflict.

RISE-PS is expected to directly benefit around 24,000 young people, half of them women, along with:

• More than 3,000 female-headed households

• Over 7,300 local enterprises

Beyond direct beneficiaries, the programme's infrastructure improvements, job creation and private-sector investments are expected to benefit Cabo Delgado's population of 2.74 million people, as well as the wider northern region's 11.6 million residents.

Mozambique's Minister of Planning and Development Salim Cripton Valá emphasized the importance of infrastructure development for economic recovery.

"The establishment of relevant infrastructure is fundamental to attracting SMEs, stimulating private investment, and generating employment opportunities for young people and women," Valá said during the launch ceremony.

Supporting Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship

A key component of the project is its focus on youth employment and skills development.

RISE-PS will support 108 private-sector partnerships designed to create structured youth internship opportunities, while also providing technical training and soft-skills development.

The initiative will also establish a climate-smart SME Village in Afungi, designed to attract up to 100 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to new industrial and serviced business facilities.

The goal is to build sustainable local businesses capable of driving long-term economic recovery in the region.

Women at the Centre of Recovery Efforts

The project places particular emphasis on supporting young women and female entrepreneurs in conflict-affected districts.

Key initiatives include:

• Vocational training programmes for young women

• Grants for women-led businesses

• Support for women's participation in priority agricultural and commercial value chains

• Initiatives promoting women's leadership in community decision-making

African Development Bank Country Manager for Mozambique Rômulo Cunha Corrêa said the programme addresses the root causes of fragility in northern Mozambique.

"The RISE-PS project is a timely and transformative intervention designed to address the complex drivers of fragility in Northern Mozambique," he said.

"By focusing on institutional capacity, resilient societies and private investment, we are supporting economic recovery and giving approximately 24,000 young people and women a reason to believe in their future."

From Stabilisation to Long-Term Development

UNDP Resident Representative Edo Stork said the initiative represents an important shift from emergency response to long-term development and resilience.

"UNDP is proud to support RISE-PS as a programme that strengthens local resilience, expands economic opportunities and ensures that peacebuilding underpins development," Stork said.

The project reflects growing cooperation between UNDP, the African Development Bank, ADIN and private-sector partners to stabilize fragile regions through economic development.

Catalysing Investment in Fragile Regions

Alongside the project launch, Minister Valá hosted a high-level investment roundtable aimed at accelerating transformative investments in northern Mozambique.

Speaking at the event, Yero Baldeh, Director of the African Development Bank's Transition States Coordination Office, highlighted the role of the Bank's Transition Support Facility in mobilizing private investment in fragile contexts.

He also noted that the Peace and Security Hub being piloted under RISE-PS could become a model for mobilising impact investment for peacebuilding and resilience across other fragile regions in Africa.

Aligning Partners for Effective Implementation

Before the official launch, project partners—including the African Development Bank, ADIN and UNDP—held a three-day technical induction workshop at Mozambique's Ministry of Planning and Development.

The workshop aligned stakeholders on:

• Governance structures

• Environmental and social safeguards

• Procurement standards

• Monitoring and evaluation systems

• Risk-management protocols

Officials said the preparatory process is designed to ensure efficient implementation and strong accountability mechanisms as the project moves into its operational phase.

The RISE-PS initiative is expected to play a key role in restoring livelihoods, rebuilding trust and creating sustainable economic opportunities in northern Mozambique, helping communities move beyond years of instability toward long-term peace and development.