Lobito Corridor is “Once in a Lifetime” Opportunity, says President Hichilema

President Hichilema has hailed the US-backed Lobito Rail Corridor as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for Zambia’s development. The railway will span three countries, connecting mining operations in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, through the DRC, and ending at the port of Lobito, integrating into Angola's existing railway network.

Speaking at the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment in Lusaka yesterday, President Hakainde Hichilema hailed the plans as a “generational opportunity”. The new line will reduce transit times for the transportation of supplies to mines and the shipping of metals to ports. Trial shipments from Congo to Lobito have taken about a week since beginning in December, a stark contrast to the month-long journey it typically takes to transport goods to the South African port of Durban via truck.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Hichilema said the plans will “do something significant to the country, [the] economy, to our people in terms of opportunity [and] business.”

Washington has approved a loan of $250 million to support phase one of the construction as well as the renovation of the Angolan line. Amos Hochstein, Senior Advisor to US President Joe Biden, said the Lobito Corridor will be fully operational by 2028.

International and US-led mining companies have invested billions in total into mining projects in Zambia, including KoBold Metals, a California-based mineral exploration company, who on Monday announced the discovery of the country’s largest copper deposit in more than a century.

The Lobito corridor acts as a crucial element in the Biden administration's plan to secure access to vital metals crucial for the global advancement of green energy In 2023, a White House spokesperson said the project would "unlock the enormous potential of this region."