Dear Reader,
As my mandate as Head of the AICS Maputo Office draws to a close at the end of this month of March, after more than four years of intense work, the time has come to say goodbye. It is not easy to take stock of such a period, rich in challenges, experiences, and achievements.
I arrived in Mozambique in 2022, a landmark year for Italian Development Cooperation in the country. Indeed, in July 2022, the President of the Italian Republic, H.E. Sergio Mattarella, paid an official visit to Mozambique. On that occasion, the Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP) between Italy and Mozambique for the period 2022–2026 was signed—representing the first major concrete result of my mandate.
My arrival also coincided with a time when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were still being felt, something we must not forget. In that context, I had the opportunity to witness firsthand the impact of Italian Development Cooperation, particularly through support to the Biotechnology Centre of Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), which was at the forefront of diagnostic activities. It was also a symbolic year, marked by the celebration of 45 years of cooperation between Italy and UEM, the largest and most prestigious university in Mozambique, with which we have long collaborated in capacity building and strengthening higher education.
During my mandate, I have felt deeply proud to witness the growth of AICS and Italian Development Cooperation within the complex regional context of Southern Africa. One figure above all illustrates this: at the beginning of my assignment, the AICS Maputo Office was responsible for three countries, of which only one (Mozambique) was a priority for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). I conclude my mandate with responsibility for five countries, three of which are priority countries (Mozambique, Zambia, and Malawi) for MAECI, and three (Mozambique, Zambia, and Angola) within the framework of the Mattei Plan for Africa.
Among the most significant moments of my mandate, particularly in terms of expanding responsibilities, were the inauguration of the Programme Office in Chimoio (Mozambique, Manica Province, in 2023)—a hub coordinating our activities in the province, especially in the agricultural sector, and playing a key role in the development of the Manica Agro-Food Centre (CAAM), a flagship initiative of the Mattei Plan for Africa—and the opening of the Programme Office in Lusaka, with responsibility for Malawi and Zambia, strengthening the presence and operational capacity of Italian Development Cooperation and AICS in Southern Africa.
Among the most emblematic achievements of my mandate, I would particularly like to recall: in September 2025, the reopening of the Natural History Museum of Maputo, a true jewel of the city and an important milestone for the protection and promotion of Mozambique’s cultural and scientific heritage; in 2024, the contribution to the organisation of the first Coffee Expo in Mozambique and the inauguration of key infrastructures, such as the start-up incubator at Eduardo Mondlane University (in 2023) and the health centre in Namaacha (in 2022); as well as, in 2023, 2024, and 2025, the organisation of delegations of agricultural producers from partner countries to the Macfrut fair, thereby strengthening knowledge exchange and opportunities in the agricultural sector.
One of the most important legacies of my tenure lies in the processes I have helped to structure and consolidate, based on an increasingly results-oriented vision and on projects designed with a regional dimension. This has been achieved by leveraging a strong team spirit across the entire “Sistema Italia”, engaging the private sector (including well-established collaborations with ENI Rovuma, Macfrut, and The European House Ambrosetti – TEHA), and enhancing communication as a strategic tool of Development Cooperation.
Over these years, I have travelled thousands of kilometres and spent countless hours in the air, which allowed me to gain a close understanding of the region, its communities, and our beneficiaries. Above all, this journey gave me the opportunity to witness the extraordinary resilience of the people and their determination to build a better future for their communities.
My special thanks go to the relevant Diplomatic Representations—the Embassies in Maputo, Lusaka, Harare, and Luanda—as well as to partner institutions, local authorities, Italian and Mozambican Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the Delegations of the European Union, the United Nations Agencies, and all those who have contributed to this shared path.
Finally, I would like to express my deepest and most sincere gratitude to all the staff of the AICS Maputo Office. These results would not have been possible without your commitment, dedication, expertise, and team spirit.
Thank you very much. Muito obrigado. Kanimambo. Thank you.