Lobito Corridor a major opportunity - President Hichilema

President Hakainde Hichilema has described the Lobito Corridor as a critical platform for unlocking major economic opportunities for Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola, while strengthening regional trade and integration.

Speaking at the Second Lobito Corridor Coordinating Meeting in Lusaka, the President called the corridor an important building block for Africa's economic integration and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He said the free trade area must be supported by strong regional blocs such as SADC, the EAC and ECOWAS.

He said better connectivity is especially important for Africa's young and growing population, which needs access to education, skills, jobs and business opportunities. Growth, peace and stability across the region, he added, depend on creating meaningful opportunities for young people.

President Hichilema urged businesses from the three countries to form joint ventures with investors from across Africa, Europe and beyond. He said cross-border partnerships build shared interests in regional peace and cooperation.

He stressed the need for a wider network of roads, railways and feeder routes connecting communities, farms, mines and production centres to the main corridor, adding that greater use of rail would ease pressure on roads. He also singled out the Zambia–Lake Rukwa–Singola leg as having significant economic potential.

The President said the corridor should not be judged only by its target of three million tonnes of mineral production. He described it as a driver of wider investment, tourism and the movement of people and ideas, with benefits reaching well beyond mineral transport.