The European Union has pledged $2.31 billion to advance the construction of the Lobito Corridor, a transport route linking Zambia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Atlantic Ocean.
The announcement came on Wednesday from EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela at the opening of the EU-Zambia Lobito Corridor Business Forum in Lusaka, attended by nearly 1,000 delegates from government, business, and investment sectors.
Sikela said the funding, mobilised under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, aims to expand the existing route into a vital artery for regional trade. He described the project as “a critical gateway connecting economies and unlocking opportunities in agriculture, energy, and critical minerals.”
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who inaugurated the forum, called for deeper Africa-EU cooperation, emphasising the shared history and future potential of the partnership. “We must broaden and deepen our trade relations to create jobs and eliminate the desperate migration that drives our people across dangerous waters,” he said.
EU Investment Bank Vice President Karl Nehammer affirmed the bloc’s commitment to securing further financing to ensure the corridor’s completion, calling it a cornerstone of sustainable African growth.
On the sidelines of the forum, the EU and Zambia signed ten additional funding agreements worth $231.47 million, reinforcing support for the corridor’s wider development plan.
Among the key allocations are $57.86 million to upgrade Zambia’s railway system, $41.66 million to strengthen agriculture and market access, and $26.5 million to construct a 32-megawatt solar power plant in Western Province.
The ambitious initiative is envisioned to transform Southern Africa’s transport landscape, fostering trade links that stretch from the heart of the continent to the Atlantic shores.