AfDB invests $1B in Lobito Corridor, signs Zambia rail pact
African Development Bank Group (AfDB) President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has spotlighted the Bank’s leadership in driving key infrastructure and development initiatives across Africa, aligning with Italy’s Mattei Plan and the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy. He made these remarks at the Mattei Plan–Global Gateway Summit held in Rome on June 20.
Dr. Adesina outlined the Bank’s growing influence in reshaping Africa’s economic landscape through strategic investments in regional connectivity, industrial growth, and green infrastructure.
He cited the Bank’s catalytic role in the Lobito Corridor—an expansive trade route linking Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—with $1 billion committed over five years for value chain development and urban infrastructure.
“The Lobito Corridor is a game-changer,” said Adesina, emphasizing its role in unlocking trade and economic opportunities for landlocked African countries. He also referenced the $3.9 billion support package the Bank is helping mobilize for the Tanzania–DRC–Burundi railway network.
As a key implementing partner of the Mattei Plan and the Global Gateway, the AfDB is managing the newly operational Rome Process/Mattei Plan Financing Facility. This dedicated fund will accelerate climate-resilient infrastructure development in critical sectors such as energy, water, and transport. The Facility’s inaugural Governing Council has already approved an initial pipeline of projects, including further investments in the Lobito Corridor.
Over the last decade, the Bank has invested more than $55 billion in infrastructure, making it the continent’s largest financier of regional transport corridors. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reinforced the EU’s commitment, describing the Global Gateway as “an investment agenda to enhance connectivity.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed the sentiment, saying: “These are not top-down initiatives, but concrete partnerships rooted in dialogue and mutual respect.”
Adesina also emphasized the importance of energy access, highlighting Mission 300, a joint AfDB–World Bank initiative to provide electricity to 300 million Africans. He revealed that negotiations are underway with the European Commission for a €165 million package to scale up renewable energy deployment under this mission.
In a related development, the AfDB signed a Letter of Intent with the Government of Zambia to advance the Lobito Corridor project. This will include the construction of a 550-kilometre railway line from Chingola in Zambia’s Copperbelt to the Angolan border, and the rehabilitation of 260 kilometres of road from Chisese to Jimbe via Mwinilunga.
This initiative builds on a broader Memorandum of Understanding between the Bank, Zambia, Angola, the DRC, and international partners including the U.S., the EU, Italy, and the Africa Finance Corporation. It is expected to significantly enhance regional trade, transport efficiency, and economic integration.
Dr. Adesina concluded with a call for renewed support: “Together, let us do more with Africa.”
