Luanda — The new Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, was sworn in at a ceremony led by the Presiding Judge of the Constitutional Court, Laurinda Cardoso.

Esperança da Costa, who was elected through the MPLA list, is the first woman to take the vice presidential office.

Vice President´s profile

Esperança Maria Eduardo Francisco da Costa was born in Luanda and studied biology at the Agostinho Neto University, where she obtained her degree in 1985.

She has a PhD in Phytoecology from the Technical University of Lisbon and a Masters in Plant Productivity from the Higher Institute of Agronomy of the Technical University of Lisbon.

Between 1997-2002 she was Deputy Director of Scientific Affairs and National Coordinator of the SADC Network for Biodiversity Studies (SABONETE) and Focal Point for Southern Africa of the International Science Network (IFS), among other positions.

From 2020 to the current date, she was the Secretary of State for Fisheries.

Between 2010 and 2020, she was director of the Botany Centre of the Agostinho Neto University, while in the period 2007-2010 she held the position of National Director of Higher Education Expansion of the Ministry of Higher Education.

Her curriculum also includes the position of Vice-Chancellor for University Expansion of the Agostinho Neto University (UAN) from 2002-2007 and she is the founder of the Botany Centre of UAN.

Esperança da Costa, who is a member of the MPLA Central Committee since 2019, has passed through the various structures of the party, namely in the Angolan Woman Organization (OMA), the female wing of the MPLA, and the youth wing, JMPLA, of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola.