Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia have collectively taken a decisive step toward transforming the Lobito Corridor into a shared platform for growth, trade and regional integration, following a high-level coordination meeting held in Luanda and which brought together Ministers responsible for Finance, Transport, Trade, and Infrastructure from the three countries.
The meeting, which was officially opened, Thursday, by HIS EXCELLENCY JOÃO MANUEL GONÇALVES LOURENÇO, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA, convened senior government leaders alongside development partners and international financing institutions such as the African Development Bank, Africa Finance Corporation, the European Union, the European Investment Bank, the United Nations, and the World Bank Group, as well as bilateral partners from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States of America.
PRESIDENT JOÃO MANUEL GONÇALVES LOURENÇO framed the Lobito Corridor as a development corridor, not merely a railway or logistics project—one that must translate coordination into measurable delivery, investment, and better livelihoods across the region. He underscored that the corridor’s effectiveness depends on full rehabilitation and operational readiness of the rail links, particularly on the DRC and ZAMBIA segments,
and urged partners to prioritize practical execution over new bureaucracy. His message was clear: align existing initiatives, prevent duplication, and keep the focus on what matters—lowering trade and transport frictions, strengthening regional integration, and unlocking growth through the Atlantic gateway.
Home to more than 30 million people across the three corridor host countries, the Lobito Corridor stands at the center of our shared ambition to deepen regional integration, diversify our economies, and translate connectivity into jobs, investment, and rising incomes.
During the meeting, the three governments reaffirmed a common vision of the corridor not merely as a transport route, but as a fully integrated economic corridor; capable of catalyzing agriculture, SME development, value-added mining, energy, and urban growth, while strengthening access to global markets through the Atlantic Ocean.
At the conclusion of the inaugural coordination meeting, we agreed on a set of coordinated and sequenced actions to accelerate delivery. These include:
1) The development of a Lobito Corridor Development Master Plan to provide a shared implementation
framework, support milestone tracking, and anchor systematic follow-up across member states;
2) Clearly defining the concept and scope of an “economic corridor” to ensure harmonized
implementation across borders and sectors;
3) Recognizing that infrastructure alone is not sufficient, the three governments resolved to establish a joint investment platform designed to mobilize public and private capital at scale. This platform will
support transport and logistics infrastructure that directly links the corridor to industrial yards, production zones, and processing hubs, while also crowding in investment in agribusiness, energy, urban development, and small and medium-sized enterprises; and,
4) In parallel, the governments also committed to advancing trade facilitation and border reforms to streamline procedures, reduce bottlenecks, and improve the efficient movement of goods and people across the corridor.
To underpin effective delivery, the meeting further agreed on the need to expand technical assistance and capacity-building efforts, strengthen institutional coordination, and provide enhanced support to the Lobito Transport Trade Facilitation Agency. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was selected as the host of the second coordination meeting, as the
process moves from alignment toward execution. Zambia’s delegation, led by the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Hon. Dr. SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, MP, included the Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. CHARLES MILUPI, MP, and the Minister of Transport and Logistics Hon. MUSEBA FRANK TAYALI, MP. Reflecting and
ensuring Zambia’s whole-of-government approach to delivery, coordination, and accountability, the delegation also included the Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit, Ms. KUSOBILE KAMWAMBI, Permanent Secretary (Cabinet Office), Ms. NAOMI TETAMASHIMBA, Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry) Ms. LILLIAN BWALYA, and Zambia’s Ambassador to Angola, Dr. ELIAS MUNSHYA. Commenting on the outcome of the meeting, Dr. MUSOKOTWANE emphasized the corridor’s strategic national importance. He added that:
“For Zambia, the Lobito Corridor is a strategic priority. It will diversify our exports, lower transport and logistics costs, and provide our producers with more efficient access to the Atlantic, strengthening competitiveness in mining, agriculture, and value-addition industries.” He noted that the shift from coordination to delivery opens immediate opportunities for Zambian firms, working alongside international partners, in construction, engineering, logistics, energy supply, and related services. Once fully operational, he added, the corridor will sustain private-sector activity in freight handling, mineral processing, agri-logistics, and industrial parks.
“That is why we are encouraging our business community and development partners to position early, align our investments with corridor priorities, and participate not only in building the infrastructure, but in operating and scaling the economic ecosystems that will make the Lobito Corridor a durable engine of growth, trade, and regional integration—and a key international gateway for our economies.”
Anchored on Zambia’s hard-won return to economic stability and the deliberate shift now underway toward growth, investment, and job creation, the delegation affirms that the Luanda engagement was not only successful, but strategically consequential. It marked a clear turning point from stabilising the economy to actively unlocking opportunities for businesses, workers, and communities; by aligning regional infrastructure with Zambia’s development priorities. The outcomes of the discussions reinforce confidence that the Lobito
Corridor will serve as a practical vehicle for attracting investment, expanding trade, lowering costs, and creating jobs, ensuring that growth is broad-based, inclusive, and felt by Citizens across the country as Zambia advances toward a more prosperous future.
Issued by:
(Original Signed)
Office of the Secretary to the Treasury
MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING