The Civil Society Organizations Forum of Cabo Delgado (FOCADE) has strongly criticized the decision by TotalEnergies and its partners to launch the training of the first 260 selected youths for the Mozambique LNG Academy in Maputo, arguing that the move reflects the exclusion of the province hosting the country's largest liquefied natural gas project.
In a statement released on Saturday in Pemba, FOCADE said the decision to conduct the initial training phase at the Matola Industrial and Commercial Institute contradicts the stated commitment to promoting local content and overlooks the existing training capacity in Cabo Delgado, where the Mozambique LNG project is based.
The organization acknowledged the importance of providing technical training to young Mozambicans to meet the needs of the gas industry. However, it argued that holding the program outside the host province represents "a missed opportunity" to strengthen local institutions, stimulate the provincial economy, and expose trainees to the operational environment of the Afungi project in Palma District.
FOCADE also questioned the extent of TotalEnergies' commitment to the inclusion of host communities, arguing that local content should not be limited to the recruitment of Mozambican workers. According to the forum, investment should also translate into tangible opportunities for training, knowledge transfer, and institutional capacity-building in the regions directly affected by major resource projects.
«"The development of local capacities should directly benefit the communities that live with the impacts and expectations generated by the project," the organization said.»
FOCADE further noted that TotalEnergies has repeatedly highlighted its investments in training young Mozambicans and strengthening national institutions, including support for the Matola Industrial and Commercial Institute. Nevertheless, the forum argues that initiatives of this scale should also reinforce existing training centers in Cabo Delgado, helping to establish a solid technical base capable of meeting the current and future needs of the gas industry.
In its statement, the organization called on TotalEnergies, the Government of Mozambique, and the institutions responsible for implementing the Mozambique LNG Academy to reconsider the next phases of the program and prioritize Cabo Delgado as the strategic location for training professionals linked to the project.
According to FOCADE, a province that bears the economic, social, and security impacts associated with large-scale investments should also receive a fair share of the education, skills development, and economic opportunities generated by those same projects.
The forum's position comes at a time when the Mozambique LNG project is seeking to strengthen the preparation of Mozambican technicians for future operations, while reigniting debate over the effective implementation of the country's local content policy and the equitable distribution of the benefits generated by megaprojects in Mozambique. (MozaNorte)
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