Luanda: The provincial governor of Benguela, Manuel Nunes Jºnior, advocated on Wednesday for a focus on innovation, scientific research, and technological modernization to boost productivity in salt pans and develop the salt value chain. Speaking at the opening of the National Forum on the Salt Sector, currently taking place in the city of Benguela, Manuel Nunes Jºnior stated that the province possesses "exceptional natural conditions" to continue establishing itself as a national benchmark in salt production.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the governor pointed to the extensive coastline, favorable climate, production tradition, and decades of accumulated experience as factors underpinning the province's potential to consolidate its national leadership in the sector. Manuel Nunes Jºnior affirmed that Benguela province is currently the largest salt producer in Angola, although he acknowledged that production levels remain below installed potential and actual existing capacity.
The official emphasized the necessity to boost salt pan productivity to increase output for both food consumption and industry. This would go hand in hand with promoting the development of the salt value chain to generate greater added value and create new opportunities for the national economy. "We also need to develop the salt value chain," stated Manuel Nunes Jºnior, arguing that Benguela is well-positioned to lead this process in Angola through industrial transformation linked to the salt sector.
To illustrate this strategy, the governor recalled that in November 2024, just days after taking office, he laid the foundation stone for a factory designed to produce caustic soda, sodium hypochlorite, and hydrochloric acid. Manuel Nunes Jºnior noted that he visited the industrial facility earlier this month and found it completed and ready for inauguration, roughly a year and a half after construction began.
According to the governor, the factory will enable the domestic production of three products currently imported into Angola, thereby helping to reduce foreign currency outflows, ease pressure on the balance of payments, and create direct and indirect jobs in Benguela province. He also commended the project developer, the Ad©rito Areias Group, for the investment, noting that the initiative represents a significant step toward industrializing the salt sector and harnessing the province's economic potential.
The National Forum on the Salt Sector is bringing together government representatives, producers, investors, and experts in Benguela to discuss challenges and opportunities within Angola's salt industry, with a focus on increasing production, industrialization, and value creation.
