Angola Identifies US$12 Billion in Investment Opportunities Along Lobito Corridor
Angola has highlighted the Lobito Corridor as a strategic platform for regional integration, agricultural development and industrialisation, with the government identifying investment opportunities worth more than US$12 billion across 10 economic sectors.
Ivan dos Santos, Angola’s Secretary of State for Public Investment, outlined the corridor’s potential during the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Rome, Italy, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
He said the corridor could transform railway and port connectivity into increased agricultural production, industrial development, job creation and expanded regional trade.
According to dos Santos, the Lobito Corridor Master Plan had identified 144 investment opportunities across 10 economic sectors, with a combined value exceeding US$12 billion.
He described the infrastructure as an example of how economic corridors could connect regional markets and strengthen agricultural value chains.
The initiative links Angola’s Port of Lobito with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, offering opportunities to improve the movement of goods and connect producers to regional and international markets.
Government Seeks to Convert Opportunities into Investment
Dos Santos said the Angolan government was working to translate the identified opportunities into concrete projects through a Project Preparation Facility supported by the World Bank.
He also highlighted complementary infrastructure, including the Caála Logistics Platform, which is intended to support the storage and preservation of agricultural products.
The government is pursuing an integrated development approach that brings together agricultural production, logistics, agro-processing, financing and market access.
One initiative, Agro-Corridors of Angola, was being implemented in Bié Province to coordinate these activities within a unified regional development strategy.
Dos Santos called for closer cooperation between governments, financial institutions, development partners and private-sector investors to mobilise funding and support the implementation of projects along the corridor.
Trade Reforms Key to Regional Integration
The Secretary of State also stressed the need for reforms to facilitate intra-African trade and improve the movement of goods across borders.
Priority measures included harmonising phytosanitary standards, simplifying border procedures, digitising regional trade processes and implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said Southern Africa’s ability to generate shared prosperity would depend on countries strengthening cooperation in production, investment and trade while leveraging the region’s agricultural potential, natural resources and growing population.
The forum focused on mobilising regional investment to transform Southern Africa’s agri-food systems, placing the Lobito Corridor within a broader strategy to develop interconnected markets and more competitive regional value chains.
