Hichilema urges Zambia, Angola, DRC to unlock Lobito Corridor
President Hakainde Hichilema called on Zambia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo to move beyond policy commitments and turn the Lobito Corridor into a driver of trade, investment, industrialisation and job creation, speaking at the 2nd Lobito Corridor Coordinating Meeting in Lusaka. He urged the three countries to lower the cost of doing business through one-stop border posts, 24-hour border operations and digital trade facilitation tools, and to strengthen private-sector participation, including joint ventures with mining companies along the Luakano-Chingola route. Zambia's Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said discussions on road connectivity along the Zambian segment had been completed, with procurement and construction expected to begin soon, and that negotiations on the railway component were progressing.
Why it matters: The meeting concerns regional trade integration and supply-chain strengthening, as the corridor is designed to give Zambia and the DRC a shorter export route for copper, cobalt and other commodities.