Mozambique: JICA to Disburse10.4 Million Dollars for Natete Bridge Reconstruction

What the report says

Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has pledged 1.691 billion yen, about $10.4 million, for reconstruction of Natete bridge in Ribáue district in Mozambique’s northern Nampula province, according to the report from Agencia de Informação de Moçambique distributed by AllAfrica. The commitment was marked by an exchange of notes signed between Mozambique’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Maria Manso, and JICA’s deputy resident representative in Mozambique, Takahashi Sulimara.

The article says the bridge project is part of broader cooperation between Japan and Mozambique and follows discussions linked to TICAD 9, the Tokyo conference on African development. JICA said the work is intended to improve regional connectivity, make movement of people and goods easier, and support trade along the Nacala Corridor, which is important for transport and logistics in northern Mozambique and neighboring areas.

According to the report, the project will include a new bridge, access road improvements and riverbank protection. Manso said the existing structure, built in 2014 with Japanese support, was damaged by extreme weather. The new construction is expected to be more resilient to flooding, reflecting a wider need in Mozambique for infrastructure that can better withstand climate-related damage.

The article also mentions a separate Japanese-backed scholarship grant for Mozambican public servants, but the bridge reconstruction was the main development highlighted.