Zambia President Hichilema Identifies Lobito Corridor as Key Driver of Trade and Investment
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has described the Lobito Corridor as a major opportunity to accelerate regional trade, investment and economic integration, calling for closer cooperation among Zambia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking at the Second Lobito Corridor Coordination Meeting in Lusaka, Hichilema said the corridor should serve as a building block for connecting Africa and supporting the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He called for stronger collaboration among the three countries and their development partners to ensure the corridor delivers economic benefits, including increased investment, trade and employment opportunities.
Hichilema said the corridor should extend beyond the movement of minerals and goods to support sectors including mining, energy, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing, while creating opportunities for young people.
He also called for deliberate joint ventures involving businesses and investors from Zambia, Angola, the DRC, the wider SADC region and Europe.
The President said greater regional connectivity could strengthen economic ties and stability by creating shared commercial interests across the three countries.
He further urged the Lobito Corridor coordination mechanism to focus on removing barriers to business and improving the flow of goods across the region.
Angola’s Minister of Transport, Ricardo D’Abreu, said the corridor remained a national priority for Angola, noting that the country hosts the Port of Lobito and about 1,300 km of the Benguela Railway, providing a direct route between the region’s mining heartland and the Atlantic Ocean.
D’Abreu said Angola was working with Zambia and the DRC to improve border efficiency, including plans to transform the Luau border crossing into a one-stop border facility.
DRC Minister of Planning and Coordination of Development Aid Guylain Mbwizya said railway modernisation needed to form part of a wider logistics network incorporating roads, energy, digital infrastructure, trade facilitation and skills development.
He said the objective was to transform the Lobito Corridor from a transit and resource-export route into an integrated economic corridor capable of supporting industrialisation, agriculture, SMEs and sustainable job creation.
The development of the corridor is expected to strengthen access to international markets for Zambia and the DRC while supporting investment and regional value chains.
Development partners have also identified significant private-sector opportunities along the corridor, including mining, energy, agribusiness and logistics.
