Mozambique’s government has approved the appointment of Celso Lourenço da Cunha as chair of the board of the Zambezi Valley Development Agency (ADVZ), following a decision taken at the 32nd ordinary session of the Council of Ministers held on Tuesday, 3 November, in Maputo.

Cunha had already been serving as director-general of the institution since July 2025. His appointment to the chairmanship sees him succeed Roberto Mito Albino, who previously led the agency and has since joined the executive as Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries.

The leadership reorganisation comes at a strategic moment for the ADVZ, which is mandated to promote socioeconomic growth and attract investment in the country’s central region, covering areas in the provinces of Tete, Manica, Sofala and Zambézia.

Among the principal priorities for the ADVZ under Cunha’s leadership are the elaboration of the Regional Development Strategic Plan — known as Vision 2035 / Pro-Zambeze — and the implementation of the Connecta Negócios programme, backed by a Catalytic Fund for Innovation and Demonstration (FCID) of approximately US$6 million, developed in partnership with the World Bank.

Additional mandates include agribusiness financing through the Employment Support Fund (FAE), coordinated with the National Investment Bank (BNI), as well as capacity-building initiatives for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in partnership with international development cooperation partners.

The ADVZ, also known as the Zambezi Agency, is a Mozambican public institute with legal personality and administrative and financial autonomy. It was established under Decree No. 22/2010 of 30 June to replace the now-defunct Zambezi Region Development Plan Office.