Zambia is hosting the second high-level Lobito Corridor Coordination Meeting in Lusaka from October 5 to 6, bringing together Zambia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, development partners and private-sector representatives to accelerate the implementation of one of Africa’s most strategically significant trade and investment corridors.
The meeting, held at the InterContinental Hotel, is being convened by the World Bank Group in partnership with the Zambian government and is expected to be officially opened by President Hakainde Hichilema. World Bank Managing Director for Operations Anna Bjerde is also attending.
FROM COMMITMENTS TO DELIVERY
According to Zambia’s Ministry of Finance and National Planning, the discussions will move from broad commitments towards measurable delivery priorities, including infrastructure investment, private-sector mobilisation and trade facilitation.
Secretary to the Treasury Felix Nkulukusa said the meeting comes at an important point in Zambia’s economic transition, where substantial progress has been made in restoring macroeconomic stability and restructuring external debt.
“The Second Lobito Corridor Coordination Meeting is therefore timely, as it will provide us with an opportunity to connect macroeconomic reform with the infrastructure, trade facilitation, private capital, and regional integration required to unlock Zambia’s productive potential,” Nkulukusa said.
The agenda covers priority road and rail investments, feeder networks and cross-border infrastructure requirements, as well as development masterplans and an update on the operations of the Lobito Atlantic Railway. Delegates will also consider the institutional work programme of the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency and identify financing gaps, technical-assistance needs and reforms required to improve the investment environment.
CRITICAL MINERALS AND GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS
The Lobito Corridor links the Copperbelt region of northern Zambia and southern DRC to Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito, offering one of the shortest and most competitive routes for copper and cobalt exports to international markets.
The corridor is backed by the United States, the European Union, the African Development Bank, and the Africa Finance Corporation, reflecting its strategic importance for critical minerals supply chains essential to the global energy transition. The US has explicitly prioritised the corridor as a geoeconomic asset necessary for American technology, energy grids and defence supply chains.
The Lobito Atlantic Railway currently operates 12 trains per week, with plans to increase to 20 trains per week by 2027. The railway is expected to increase transportation capacity ten-fold to about 4.6 million tonnes a year, reducing the cost of transporting critical minerals by an estimated 30%.
RECENT PROGRESS AND FINANCING
The Lusaka meeting follows a series of significant milestones for the corridor:
- $753 million financing package closed in July, including a $553 million loan backed by the US International Development Finance Corporation and $200 million from the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
- $300 million drawdown received in June by Lobito Atlantic Railway, with a “very aggressive ramp-up” under way to double cargo volumes next year.
- MIGA guarantees of $62.6 million issued to Mota-Engil to support its equity investments in the railway, expected to directly employ more than 1,600 workers at peak operations.
- DRC concession signed in August for the rehabilitation of 1,004 km of railway from Dilolo to Sakania, valued at approximately $1.258 billion over 30 years.
- USTDA grant of $3 million awarded to Anzana Electric Group for a feasibility study on hydropower expansion and electricity distribution upgrades in the DRC and Zambia.
The African Development Bank has also approved a $255 million loan and $10 million grant to support Zambia’s participation, including the development of 550 km of railway in Zambia.
INFRASTRUCTURE ALONE NOT ENOUGH
Nkulukusa emphasised that infrastructure investment alone will not deliver the full economic benefits of the corridor.
“Investment in rail, roads and logistics needed to be matched by efficient border systems, predictable customs procedures, stronger institutions, competitive financing, and policies that enable businesses to invest, produce, and trade across borders,” he said.
For Zambia, the government says the Lobito Corridor is more than a transport route, with the potential to connect productive sectors such as mining, agriculture, energy and manufacturing to regional and global markets.
“We expect the Lusaka meeting to strengthen coordination among Zambia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and help develop the Corridor into a functioning economic ecosystem,” Nkulukusa said.