The Mozambican government will support 72,000 young people through vocational training scholarships and entrepreneurship initiatives under the Acredita Emprega programme, being implemented across all 11 provinces of the country.
According to Lusa, the initiative was formally presented by President Daniel Chapo during a ceremony held in the district of Nicoadala, in Zambézia province, where programme beneficiaries were officially announced. "Today is a day of a commitment fulfilled. We gathered in Nicoadala to transform a state promise into something that can be touched, signed and taken home: the delivery of scholarship terms," the head of state said.
According to President Chapo, the programme aims to create employment and self-employment opportunities for young people, particularly in districts considered most vulnerable, by combining vocational training, entrepreneurship support and access to financing instruments. The high demand for the scholarships, the President noted, reflects the scale of the challenges Mozambique continues to face in the area of youth employment.
Between 13 March and 18 May, the programme received 145,400 applications, from which 72,000 young people were selected from 78 districts. Of the total beneficiaries, 50,400 are women, representing 70% of recipients, while 21,600 are men.
In addition to the training grants, 14,400 young women are set to receive a non-reimbursable subsidy of 100,000 meticais to invest in expanding their businesses. The support will be accompanied by mentoring services and specialised training, with the objective of improving the sustainability of the supported business initiatives.
Zambézia province accounts for the largest share of programme beneficiaries, with 16,591 young people, equivalent to 23% of the national total. The district of Nicoadala alone has 4,363 beneficiaries, representing 26.3% of those selected within the province.
President Chapo called on beneficiaries to use the resources productively, arguing that the scholarships should serve as a starting point for generating income and creating new economic opportunities. "The scholarship term you receive today is, above all, an act of trust by the Mozambican state in its youth. It is not a subsidy to consume — it is an instrument to produce and multiply. It is not a destination, it is a point of departure," he said.
The President acknowledged that youth employment remains constrained by the weight of the informal economy, difficulties in accessing credit, and the weak alignment between vocational training and actual labour market needs. To address these challenges, the government intends to strengthen the linkages between training, financing and the market, as well as deepen partnerships with the private sector and development partners.
Acredita Emprega is implemented by the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and forms part of the Girls Empowerment and Resilience Project in East Africa, financed by the World Bank.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/06/desenvolvimento-2/acredita-emprega-governo-lanca-bolsas-para-formar-72-mil-jovens/
