Category: Angola

A billion-dollar expansion of Africa’s most strategic U.S.-backed critical minerals project is now in limbo due to a foreign aid freeze under the Trump administration—creating an opening for China to expand its influence. At the center of the crisis is the Lobito Corridor railway project, a key infrastructure initiative designed to transport copper and cobalt from the Central African Copperbelt—home to some of the world’s richest deposits—to the Angolan coast for export to Western markets. The project was set to receive funding from the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. (DFC)… Read More Here

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, in partnership with the three Lobito Corridor Member States, has officially launched the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Interim Secretariat Headquarters in Lobito, Angola. This announcement follows the 2nd Lobito Corridor Committee of Ministers meeting held on January 22, 2025. At the meeting, Honourable Ricardo Viegas de Abreu, Minister of Transport for Angola, emphasized the strategic role of the Lobito Corridor in promoting intra-African trade and enhancing Africa’s competitiveness in the global market. He explained that planned infrastructure developments would reduce transit times and… Read More Here

The Lobito Corridor is set to become the largest American investment in African railways, according to US President Joe Biden. This strategic railway link, connecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola, is poised to transform the transportation of essential metals used in vehicle manufacturing and wind turbines from mining sites to the port. Stretching 1,344 kilometers, the Lobito Corridor is designed to facilitate the transport of critical minerals, including copper and cobalt, which are vital for the global energy transition. The DRC, responsible for 70% of the world’s… Read More Here

The World Bank is preparing a $300 million project for the Lobito Corridor, according to Victoria Kwakwa, the institution’s Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa. She emphasized that participating countries must create favorable conditions for foreign investment. “The three countries involved must also focus on improving connectivity. Each must establish conditions to boost trade, address regulatory barriers, and develop infrastructure that enhances regional connectivity. This will enable the region to become a hub of commerce and development,” Kwakwa stated, as reported by Lusa. Highlighting the strategic importance of the… Read More Here

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has significantly advanced the Zambia Lobito Rail project by entering into concession agreements with the governments of Angola and Zambia. This ceremonial signing took place on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) with the participation of U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and the Biden Administration’s G-7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI). The agreements empower the AFC to take the lead in funding, constructing, owning, and operating this vital infrastructure project aimed at enhancing… Read More Here