Japan has approved a grant of about $10.6 million to Mozambique to rebuild the Natete Bridge in Nampula Province as part of efforts to restore safe transport along the Nacala Corridor and make the crossing climate‑resilient.
The agreement was signed in Maputo between Mozambique’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Mozambican Communities Abroad, Maria de Fatima Simao Manso, and Takahashi Sulimara, senior representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The project will replace the deteriorated Natete Bridge on National Road No. 13, which has suffered damage from flooding, including settlement of its pier and deformation of its superstructure.
The new bridge will be designed to withstand increasingly severe floods linked to climate change, ensuring reliable transport along one of Mozambique’s most important trade corridors.
The grant, valued at 1.691 billion yen (about $10.6 million), covers construction of the bridge, approach roads, riverbank protection works, removal of the existing bridge and Bailey bridge and consulting services.
The implementation period is planned for 35 months, with Mozambique’s National Roads Administration as the executing agency.
Officials said the project will remove a critical bottleneck in the Nacala Corridor, boosting socioeconomic development in northern Mozambique.
It also aligns with the government’s Five‑Year Programme (2025-2029), which prioritises quality infrastructure to promote economic activity.
JN/APA