Angola is set to take a decisive step toward its economic future with the launch of Project Crescer, a $125 million initiative designed to boost youth employment, strengthen micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and foster productive innovation across the country.
Led by the Government of Angola in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU), the program aligns with Angola Vision 2050 and the National Development Plan 2023–2027, both aimed at diversifying the economy and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Minister of Planning Víctor Hugo Guilherme emphasized that the project “represents a direct investment in the talent, energy, and creativity of Angola’s youth — the driving force of the nation’s economic transformation.” According to the minister, Crescer will not only generate jobs but “expand the national productive base and reinforce Angola’s role as a hub of innovation in Southern Africa.”
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The initiative targets the creation of over 149,000 jobs — including 37,430 direct and 112,290 indirect positions — while training nearly 100,000 young people in strategic areas such as digital technologies, climate-smart agriculture, aquaculture, and sustainable transport. More than 10,000 MSMEs and 97 startups will receive financial and technical support, with at least 50% of beneficiaries being women entrepreneurs.
Additionally, the project will inject up to $15 million into new credit lines, expand business development services, and strengthen entrepreneurship support organizations — consolidating a dynamic and competitive innovation ecosystem. During the launch event in Luanda, Eugénio Maria Paulo, AfDB’s Executive Director for Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, praised the government’s leadership: “By placing youth at the center of its development vision, Angola sends a powerful message: its future will be built on the energy and ingenuity of its young people.”
Co-financed with $79.08 million from the African Development Bank, $29.06 million from the Angolan Government, and $16.08 million from the European Union, the project also aims to reinforce public–private partnerships and public investment, both essential drivers of sustainable growth.
Crescer complements ongoing national initiatives such as the Angola Science and Technology Park, set for completion in November 2025, which seeks to turn scientific innovation into a pillar of the country’s economic diversification. With this bold commitment, Angola reaffirms its vision of transforming its youthful population into the country’s most valuable development asset, building a more inclusive, resilient, and competitive economy.
Since 1980, the African Development Bank has supported Angola’s development through an active portfolio of $1.45 billion, spanning sectors such as energy, water, agriculture, finance, transport, and social development. Project Crescer is more than an investment — it is a statement of confidence in the capacity of a new generation of Angolans to reshape their national economy and redefine Angola’s role within Africa’s growth story.
