MCTI and NQI Sign MoU for Lobito Corridor Trade Facilitation
The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Quality Institutions (NQI) to implement the Lobito Corridor Trade Facilitation Project, supported by the African Development Bank with a grant of US$8.1 million.
This initiative aims to boost domestic and cross-border trade between Zambia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The NQI includes the Zambia Metrology Agency (ZMA), Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA), and Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). These institutions will play a pivotal role in harmonizing trade facilitation instruments, enhancing joint corridor development, and fostering SME participation in agriculture, mining, and construction value chains.
MCTI Permanent Secretary, Ms. Lillian Bwalya, highlighted during the signing ceremony that the project will train cooperatives and SMEs in quality assurance and product standardization to expand their access to local, regional, and foreign markets.
“The Lobito Corridor offers Zambian businesses a shorter route to the seaport for products from the Copperbelt and North Western Provinces,” she said, adding that SMEs would particularly benefit from the agriculture market opportunities that will arise once the corridor is fully developed.
Angola, which currently imports much of its food from Brazil, is seen as a key future market for Zambian agriculture. The development of the Lobito Corridor’s transport infrastructure, including a railway line from Chingola to Angola and an all-weather road from Mwinilunga to Jimbe, will enhance trade and regional integration.
The MoU also provides for the training of over 40 agricultural cooperatives and SMEs in product standardization, valued at US$65,000 (ZMW 1.7 million). Zambia Metrology Agency Executive Director, Mr. Humphrey Nkobeni, expressed gratitude for the support NQI has received through the project, noting that SMEs stand to benefit significantly from both quality instruments and financial backing to improve their standards and market readiness.
