Mozambique's LNG boom fails to deliver jobs and prosperity to local communities
Despite massive LNG projects in Cabo Delgado, many residents see little benefit, with young people forced to seek low-pay work far from home.
Mozambique has attracted large foreign capital to develop LNG facilities in the Rovuma Basin near Palma, hoping the sector will transform the economy. In practice, residents such as Abdul Amadeu, who left his hometown for a market stall in Maputo, earn roughly $200 monthly and send modest remittances home. The anticipated surge in local employment has not materialised, and many youths continue to migrate in search of work.
Communities report loss of farmland to project infrastructure, longer travel distances, and heightened hardship due to terror attacks that have displaced families. Economists note that state revenues from the projects will not become significant until after 2033, as current earnings are earmarked for debt service. Consequently, the promised prosperity remains out of reach for most citizens.
Why it matters
It shows how resource wealth can bypass ordinary citizens, deepening inequality and fueling discontent.
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