Mozambique is preparing to enter a new cycle of investment, structural transformation, and economic assertion. It is in this context that PLMJ Colab Mozambique – NMP Advogados strengthens its presence, leadership, and ambition in the country.
Through operational integration into the PLMJ ecosystem, NMP Advogados formalized its own positioning in Mozambique in the second half of 2025. With local leadership and team, and a defined sectoral focus, this marks the beginning of a new phase—a move that consolidates the natural evolution of a firm that knows Mozambique deeply and maintains, through the PLMJ Colab network, access to over 300 lawyers and specialists across multiple jurisdictions.
From Maputo, NMP Advogados strengthens legal response capabilities in a transforming market, focusing on rigor, robust structures, regulatory trust, and sustainable value creation for investors, banks, companies, and institutions in the country. Nuno Morgado Pereira, local partner of NMP Advogados and lawyer in both Mozambique and Portugal, leads PLMJ Colab Mozambique at a decisive moment for the country. Macroeconomic stabilization, the return of major energy investments, and a new generation of large-scale projects place the legal sector at the center of execution capacity and international capital attraction. The strengthened local presence responds to this need: proximity, sectoral specialization, and long-term vision.
With cross-sector experience in finance, energy, O&G, LNG, energy transition, infrastructure, and project finance, Nuno Morgado Pereira identifies this phase as an opportunity to consolidate a more competitive, technically sophisticated Mozambican legal practice, prepared to support the country’s next growth cycle.
What motivated your decision to lead PLMJ Colab Mozambique – NMP Advogados at this moment, and what personal and professional significance does it hold?
One only returns somewhere if one has ever left it, which is not the case at all. I am Mozambican, I grew up here, and I am also a Mozambican lawyer. Since 2012, I have been part of the PLMJ team working in the country, side by side with local and international clients. For all these reasons, it doesn’t make sense to talk about returning; what makes sense is to speak of a reinforced commitment, a consolidation of dedication to the Mozambican market. This is a responsibility I take very seriously, a natural consequence of my career in the firm and the way the firm views its other geographies today.
“The main challenge remains ensuring bankability: well-structured contracts, balanced risk allocation, adequate guarantees, and a stable legal framework.”
Our ambition, shared by everyone at PLMJ and PLMJ Colab Mozambique – NMP Advogados, is for this project to quickly become a benchmark for Mozambican legal practice. It has been personally and professionally enriching to work on highly sophisticated projects across multiple dimensions, including finance, my area of specialization. With ambition, conviction, and enthusiasm, I take on the challenge of developing a legal project in Mozambique and for Mozambique.
What positioning does PLMJ intend to assume in the Mozambican legal market, and what differentiating elements do you bring to this ecosystem?
Our positioning is very clear and continues the extensive work we have already developed in Mozambique. NMP Advogados aims to be the legal partner top-of-mind for stakeholders involved in the country’s major structural projects. Our team is dedicated to advising companies on their entry and growth projects in Mozambique.
We have done this through our Lisbon team, but now we aim to do it with a hub here in Mozambique. We have been involved in projects that drive the country’s development—from infrastructure to energy, to structuring complex and robust financing for railway and airport connections. Recently, we have participated in several investments where we played a key role: providing legal consultancy for the public sector in renewable energy projects, capacity building for financial sector professionals, and involvement in the largest M&A transaction in the country last year (Galp Rovuma). These examples demonstrate our ability to help realize projects that can—and certainly will—make a difference in a country poised for significant economic growth.
Currently, the first challenge is to identify and retain talent. There is much discussion about AI, but these tools only make sense if well-prepared people are in place. AI helps, but it’s people who make things happen.
At PLMJ, we have made incredible progress in team development, preparing lawyers for tomorrow’s demands. They must not only have solid academic foundations but also understand digital literacy and legal project management. They must combine rigorous quantitative reasoning with emotional intelligence and contractual creativity, creating flexible legal structures that not only protect in adverse scenarios but transform volatility into opportunity.
This is what we aim to bring: a firm that offers Mozambican lawyers a place to grow across these and other competencies. This, perhaps, is the most exciting aspect, as the impact on the new generation of lawyers in the country will be real.
How does integration into the PLMJ Colab network enhance the local office’s capacity and enable solutions for Mozambican companies and international investors?
The PLMJ Colab model today builds on lessons learned from our own internationalization experience and on what drives success in collaborative networks. There is a great opportunity to create regional hubs connecting different markets. In Maputo, the goal is precisely that: to be a platform linking Mozambique to Angola, South Africa, other African countries in the region, UAE, India, Portugal, and the world, working with over 300 PLMJ lawyers and international partners with technical legal specialization and deep sector knowledge.
Being a lawyer in Mozambique and another jurisdiction allows navigating multiple legal frameworks, translating realities so financiers, promoters, and authorities speak the same language. In emerging markets, where institutional practice matters as much as written law, this translation is essential. Providing top-tier legal services across geographies is a daily challenge, requiring not only the best professionals but also a common culture ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience.
“A NMP Advogados quer ser o parceiro jurídico que está no top of mind das partes envolvidas nos grandes projectos estruturantes do País”
Working in diverse jurisdictions broadens knowledge, fosters creativity, and makes teams more competitive. At PLMJ Colab Mozambique – NMP Advogados, we operate with multidisciplinary teams across offices, designed for each project’s specifics. This diversity adds tangible value for clients seeking to internationalize from Mozambique or invest in the country.
Our mission is simple: we want to work in Mozambique and for Mozambique. We provide legal advice with the quality and specialization of PLMJ teams, combined with the proximity and knowledge of those who live and understand this market daily.
What is your view on the current state of Mozambique’s banking and financial sector? Which reforms or legal advancements could strengthen access to financing and institutional competitiveness, and how does PLMJ intend to support this ecosystem?
Mozambique is entering a phase of profound transformation, anchored in the return of major energy and logistics investments. This could double the country’s GDP in a few years but requires vision, robust structures, and execution capacity.
The country now has a foundation for banks and financial systems to move from a constant ‘survival mode’ to growth and internationalization. The sector must advance on three axes: improve credit access for SMEs/informal sector through effective guarantees, functional registries, and modern insolvency frameworks; diversify financing sources via capital markets, project finance, and securitization beyond traditional banking; and reinforce trust. Predictable and transparent regulatory, foreign exchange, and contractual frameworks are essential to attract investment, particularly from entities contributing to national development while conducting business locally.
NMP Advogados aims to strengthen long-term sustainability in this transition: advising on structured credit, designing modern compliance instruments, and supporting local banks as project finance partners. In short, the system is ready to leap forward, and the right reforms will accelerate and consolidate that leap.
Energy has been central to your work. What are the main legal and regulatory challenges facing major projects in Mozambique today?
Energy and logistics will be central in the return of major investment projects. Investors seek predictability: a stable legal framework reduces perceived risk and allows long-term contract planning with confidence. Mozambique and neighboring countries need to reinforce fiscal, labor, and regulatory stability to enable national and international companies to invest medium- and long-term. Our contribution is to design and implement robust legal and financial structures that turn opportunities into bankable projects.
In project finance, which legal structures and trends are emerging, and how will PLMJ support increasingly complex operations?
Mozambican banks have been key partners in public-private partnerships (PPPs) and mega-projects, navigating regulatory and foreign exchange issues. Mozambique has a track record of honoring project rights, and legal/regulatory stability is a key factor for investors.
Recent large projects—TotalEnergies’ LNG Area 1 restart, Eni’s Coral North, Mphanda Nkuwa, and various renewable energy and infrastructure projects—highlight clear trends. Firstly, gas megaprojects anchor investment, attracting large-scale international financing through commercial bank consortia, export credit agencies, and multilaterals, requiring robust contracts, sovereign guarantees, and political risk mitigation.
Secondly, renewable energy projects and electrification are growing, with hybrid financing combining concessional capital, multilaterals, and impact funds, emphasizing PPA bankability with EDM.
Thirdly, infrastructure investments (ports, railways) are essential to enable LNG, mining, and agribusiness, relying on concession and PPP models, where legal frameworks ensure risk allocation and lender confidence.
Fourth, government and multilateral guarantees are increasingly relevant, via sovereign guarantees, political risk insurance, or credit from institutions like IFC, AfDB, or MIGA, catalyzing private capital in high-risk environments.
Lastly, sectoral diversification is evident: beyond gas, there is investment in mining, agribusiness, and mid-sized energy and logistics projects, creating opportunities for project finance structures involving local banks, regional venture funds, and regional investors.
The trend is clear: Mozambique is moving from paralysis to a new wave of investment, combining mega-energy projects with renewables, infrastructure, and productive sectors. The key challenge remains bankability: well-structured contracts, balanced risk allocation, adequate guarantees, and a stable legal framework.
With this foundation, Mozambique can transform resources and projects into drivers of sustainable growth. PLMJ Colab integration demonstrates clear value: Portuguese infrastructure projects benefited from PLMJ teams’ knowledge and contribution. These same teams bring this expertise to Mozambique, an exciting prospect for me as a Mozambican and leader of a local firm with global experience.
What role can infrastructure investments play in Mozambique’s growth, and how can the legal framework accelerate project execution?
Infrastructure investments are central to Mozambique’s growth. Current infrastructure projects (ports, railways, energy) could exceed twice the current GDP, creating jobs, logistics connections, reducing transport costs, and positioning Mozambique as a regional gateway. Execution requires legal transparency, predictability, and stability in concessions and PPPs, streamlined licensing, environmental approvals, access to international financing, and mechanisms to facilitate capital transfers. Clear procedures mean faster decisions and lower delays.
Mozambican company competitiveness remains a challenge. What legal support is critical for them to benefit from the new wave of investments?
National companies face challenges in access to financing, technology, and markets. Legal support is crucial in three areas: structuring guarantees and financing vehicles for SME credit access; simplifying corporate and compliance processes to participate in energy and infrastructure supply chains; and protecting intellectual property, contracts, and labor rights to build investor trust. Legal services are not just reactive—they are tools to enhance national company competitiveness and integration in investment projects.
Beyond energy, which emerging sectors are strategic with potential to attract capital and foster sustainable growth?
Mozambique has extraordinary economic diversification opportunities:
- Agro-industry, leveraging land richness and export potential;
- Sustainable tourism, especially ecotourism and coastal zones;
- Carbon credits and nature-based solutions.
MozBlue, for instance, positions Mozambique as a regional leader in carbon credits, attracting climate financing, creating jobs, and protecting ecosystems (PLMJ is involved). A clear legal framework ensures ownership security, fair benefit sharing with communities, and alignment with international verification standards. With rules in place, Mozambique can turn natural assets into major sustainable growth drivers and global market leadership in carbon.
Medium- and long-term vision for Mozambique’s economy and development?
First, talent development and retention across sectors is critical. Without capable, motivated, ambitious, and committed people, Mozambique lacks the essential resource for economic and social development.
Second, stability—social, economic, and political—is key. Mozambique must focus on the future, attracting foreign investment. Projects are emerging, and the desire to return exists. We must harness and nurture this will through capacity-building, institutional strengthening, and a shared vision.
Text and Photography • M4D
