Zambia is this morning participating in the historical meeting for the preparedness of the signing of the long awaited Lobito Corridor Agreement scheduled for Friday 27, 2023.

Chairperson of the Lobito Corridor Meeting, Director of Infrastructure Ms. MAPOLAO ROSEMARY MOKEONA from SADC Secretariat, in her welcoming remarks of the delegates, emphasized that time has now come for the members of the Corridor which comprises Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to implement the agreement so as to further development in the region.

“This is a done deal. It has taken us over ten years to get to this grand occasion which will be signed by our Ministers on Friday 27 January 2023 in Lobito, Angola.”

Ms. MOKEONA said a meeting of Senior Officials was held on 5th December 2022 where it was considerd that the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (LCTTFA) Agreement be created and recommended it to the Ministers responsible for Transport and Corridor Development for signature.

The meeting taking place today, 25 and 26, January 2023 is meant to prepare for the Ministers responsible for Transport and Corridor Development to sign the LCTTFA Agreement.

The Ministers to sign the Agreement are Zambia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics Hon. MUSEBA FRANK TAYALI, MP, his Angolan Counterpart Mr. RICARDO VIEGAS D’ABREU and Mr. MARC EKILA LIKOMBO of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Lobito Corridor Project is a multimodal transport facility that consists of a network of Roads, Railway Lines, Airports and the Port of Lobito.

The LCTTFA is, among other requirements, meant to ease the movement of people and goods with improved services, reduce travel times and eventually encourage cost reduction associated with moving freight and passengers along the corridor and promote joint planning and development of Port, Rail, Road and Border Post infrastructure.