Angola Signs Agreement to Boost Lobito Corridor as Regional Transport, Trade, and Logistics Hub
Angola has taken a significant step in asserting its role as a key player in regional transport and trade, following the signing of an agreement on Monday in Luanda between the Angolan Government and the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (AFTTCL). The agreement establishes the opening of a representation of the Agency in Angola.
The signing ceremony was presided over by Minister of Transport Ricardo Viegas D’Abreu and AFTTCL Executive Secretary Amadeu Nunes, with the attendance of the Zambian Ambassador Elias Munshya and the Democratic Republic of Congo Ambassador Constantin Kalala Mayiba.
The agreement grants the Agency full legal personality, establishes regimes of inviolability, immunity, and operational facilitation, and creates a robust framework for coordination, supervision, and harmonization of procedures, providing the necessary conditions for the Agency to carry out its mandate effectively in Angola.
This legal instrument will enable the implementation of programs aimed at maximizing the Corridor’s assets efficiently, taking into account the interests of all parties involved.
It is a decisive step toward consolidating the Lobito Corridor as a regional logistics hub, aligned with international standards for transport and trade facilitation.
Minister Highlights Strategic Importance
Minister D’Abreu emphasized that the agreement represents a structural advancement for the Lobito Corridor, providing the Agency with the legal and institutional tools essential for its effective operation and operational credibility.
He stressed that the legal framework will allow Corridor users to conduct activities quickly, securely, and in alignment with regional transport and trade requirements.
“This legal framework ensures greater institutional coherence, reduces administrative barriers, and creates conditions for faster, safer processes aligned with regional transit and transport needs,” the Minister noted.
A Regional Development Vision
AFTTCL Executive Secretary Amadeu Nunes highlighted that the agreement reflects collaboration between the governments of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia, alongside the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union, development partners, and the private sector. This collaboration positions the Lobito Corridor as a development corridor.
“The transformation of the Corridor aims to increase investment, boost regional value chains, and generate sustainable economic benefits for the three member states,” Nunes stated.
The Executive Secretary also emphasized that the parties plan to build resilient infrastructure to support economic clusters, enhance value addition in mining, agriculture, energy, and services, advance industrialization, and strengthen the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in regional markets.
Through these initiatives, the Lobito Corridor is expected to create quality jobs, reduce poverty, and drive integrated development across Southern Africa, realizing the vision of the Corridor as a key axis for regional economic growth.
