The Mozambican government on Tuesday, 4 August, defended its decision to host the initial phase of the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) Academy in the south of the country, citing the need to ensure adequate conditions for the timely training of technicians. The Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) assured, however, that other training activities continue to take place in Cabo Delgado province.
The MEC’s statement comes in response to criticism from the Cabo Delgado Civil Society Organisations Forum (FOCADE) and the Provincial Business Council over the decision to conduct the initial training of 260 young people for the gas industry in the city of Matola. Both bodies argued that the decision represents a missed opportunity to strengthen technical education and develop local skills in the province that hosts the Mozambique LNG Project, led by French energy major TotalEnergies.
In a clarification note, the MEC stated that its partnership with TotalEnergies does not alter the priority assigned to developing technical and vocational education in Cabo Delgado. The ministry explained that the initiative forms part of a broader strategy to train personnel for the oil and gas industry linked to the Mozambique LNG Project, which has already benefited 1,765 young people through technical training, scholarships, and professional internships.
“Of these, 1,154 attended training courses at the Alberto Cassimo Institute of Professional Training and Labour Studies in Pemba, and 390 at the Pemba Industrial and Commercial Institute,” the note states. According to the MEC, these figures demonstrate the investment already made in preparing young people in Cabo Delgado to meet the sector’s needs.
Regarding the selection of Matola to host the initial training phase, the government explained that the decision “stems from a technical assessment of conditions at the vocational education institutions reviewed.” According to the executive, the Matola Industrial and Commercial Institute offers “the infrastructure conditions, installed capacity, accommodation, workshops, laboratories, and equipment essential to ensure the programme’s immediate launch, in line with the technical standards required by the liquefied natural gas industry.”
The executive added that leveraging existing capacities at the institution would allow the government to “meet the implementation schedule of the Mozambique LNG Project” and avoid delays that could force training to be conducted outside the country. The Mozambique LNG National Training Programme envisages an investment of €2.6 million by TotalEnergies and targets 260 graduates in the fields of mechanics, electricity, instrumentation and control, and process operations.
Following one year of theoretical and practical training, participants will proceed to approximately two years of on-the-job training at the company’s facilities in Afungi, in the district of Palma, Cabo Delgado province. The programme aims to prepare personnel to meet the needs of the liquefied natural gas industry associated with the Mozambique LNG Project.
Responding to criticism over the alleged marginalisation of the province, the MEC maintained that “Cabo Delgado remains at the centre of the strategy” for skills development in the gas sector. The ministry highlighted investments in technical education infrastructure, including the construction and equipping of the Filipe Jacinto Nyusi Industrial and Commercial Institute in the town of Namaua, and noted that the province currently has 14 technical and vocational education institutions, of which six are public, and has already trained 525 young people in electricity, oil, and gas — including 150 in gas processing.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/05/desenvolvimento-2/academia-de-gnl-governo-justifica-escolha-do-sul-do-pais-para-formacao-inicial/
