Italian energy company Eni has reaffirmed its commitment to local content development in Mozambique, arguing that ongoing investments in Cabo Delgado province must generate concrete benefits for domestic businesses, create skilled employment, and strengthen the broader economy.
The position was set out on Wednesday in Maputo by Eni’s Mozambique country director, Marica Calabrese, speaking at the Mozambique CEO Summit — a forum bringing together business leaders, investors, and policymakers to discuss investment and economic development opportunities in the country.
“The success of Eni’s operations should not be measured solely by operational results or liquefied natural gas production volumes,” Calabrese said, arguing that the impact of the company’s activities must also be assessed by the benefits generated for the national economy.
According to Calabrese, the true measure of Eni’s investments lies in the development they leave behind in Mozambique — through the creation of local capacity, the training of Mozambican technicians, and the strengthening of the country’s economy. The company’s strategy rests on three pillars: shared objectives between government, communities, and the private sector; shared responsibility; and permanent cooperation.
Within that framework, local content remains a central component of Eni’s operations. The company has invested in staff training, the preparation of national technicians, and the reinforcement of its supply chain, enabling growing participation by Mozambican companies in Rovuma Basin gas developments.
“The company regularly organises meetings with national suppliers, business fairs, and sessions presenting contracting opportunities. To date, more than 400 Mozambican companies have participated in these initiatives,” Calabrese said, highlighting efforts to integrate the domestic business community into the oil and gas industry.
Calabrese also drew attention to work undertaken with international partners to increase local content, citing the Coral Norte project as an example. A significant portion of one of the project’s components will be constructed in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado. “Around half of the value of this component will be executed locally,” she explained, adding that the decision reflects a strategic choice by the company and not merely a legal obligation.
Eni’s position aligns with the vision articulated by President Daniel Chapo at the same forum, where he argued that local content should be treated as a national development strategy. The head of state said large-scale investments must create effective linkages with the national economy, open space for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, promote knowledge transfer, respect communities, protect the environment, and comply with Mozambican legislation.
“Strengthening local content will increase the productive capacity of national companies, upskill the workforce, and ensure that the wealth generated by natural resources benefits the country and the entire Southern African region,” Chapo said, adding that Mozambique will continue to improve the business environment by reinforcing legal certainty, simplifying administrative procedures, combating corruption, and creating conditions to attract private investment.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/07/23/oilgas/eni-reafirma-aposta-no-conteudo-local-para-garantir-beneficios-dos-projectos-de-gas/
