Esperança Maria Eduardo Francisco da Costa (born 3 May 1961) is an Angolan biologist, university researcher-teacher and politician who is currently serving as the fourth

vice president of Angola The vice president of Angola is the second highest political position in Angola; it is appointed by and is the deputy to the president. The position was established by the constitution of 2010. Vice presidents of Angola (2010–present) ...

since 15 September 2022.Costa, Esperança Maria Eduardo Francisco da (1961-)
JSTOR Global Plants. 2000. She was the deputy head of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party for the

2022 Angolan general election General elections were held in Angola on 24 August 2022 to elect the President of Angola, president and National Assembly of Angola, National Assembly. Incumbent president João Lourenço was eligible for one more term. The MPLA was re-elected w ...

s. With the party's victory, she became Vice President of Angola on 15 September 2022.Investidura do Presidente da República
Rádio Nacional de Angola. 15 de setembro de 2022.CNE angolana divulga resultados definitivos e proclama João Lourenço como Presidente de Angola
Observador. 29 de agosto de 2022.

Biography

Esperança da Costa was born in

Luanda Luanda ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Angola, largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Ang ...

, Angola, on 3 May 1961. In her youth, during the country's decolonization process, she was part of the Youth Movement of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (JMPLA) and the

Organization of Angolan Women The Organization of Angolan Women (Portuguese: Organização Mulher Angolana (OMA)) is a political organisation in Angola, which was founded in 1962 to target women to support the MPLA, People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola. It was co-fou ...

(OMA).Esperança da Costa: "As mulheres estão prontas para os desafios"
Jornal de Angola. 4 de junho de 2022.

Scientific career

She studied biology at Agostinho Neto University (UAN), graduating in 1985. Between 1983 and 1984, she specialized at the Botany Center of the Tropical Scientific Research Institute in

Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

. When she returned to Luanda, she was appointed assistant in plant biology at Agostinho Neto University (UAN), becoming head of the biology department in 1986. Between 1986 and 1990, she was responsible for the development of the Luanda Herbarium. In 1990, she began her master's degree in plant productivity at the

Technical University of Lisbon The Technical University of Lisbon (UTL; , ) was a Portuguese public university. It was created in 1930 in Lisbon, as a confederation of preexisting schools, and comprised the faculties and institutes of veterinary medicine; agricultural scienc ...

, followed, in 1992, to a doctorate in phytoecology at the same university, completed in 1997. Upon returning to Angola, she was readmitted as a professor at Agostinho Neto University, becoming director of the Luanda Herbarium and assistant professor of plant biology."Ilustre desconhecida" é candidata do MPLA a vice-Presidente
DW. 24 de maio de 2022. She then served as vice-director of Scientific Affairs and, from 2002, vice-rector for University Expansion at UAN until 2007. Between 2007 and 2010, she was the National Director of the Expansion of Higher Education at the Ministry of Higher Education, supervising the national construction of campuses and new higher education institutions. She acted as director of the UAN Botany Center between 2010 and 2020.

Political career and vice presidency

She was elected to the Central Committee of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in 2019, being appointed by President

João Lourenço João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço (born 5 March 1954) is an Angolan politician who is currently serving as the third president of Angola since 26 September 2017. Previously, he was the minister of defence from 2014 to 2017. In September 2018, ...

as Secretary of State of Fishing in 2020. She contested and won the

s as the

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pre ...

. She assumed office as Vice President of Angola on 15 September 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Esperança da MPLA politicians People from Luanda Vice presidents of Angola Angolan scientists Agostinho Neto University alumni Living people 21st-century Angolan politicians 21st-century Angolan women politicians Academic staff of the Agostinho Neto University Technical University of Lisbon alumni 1961 births Women vice presidents in Africa Angolan women scientists