EU Expands Engagement in the Lobito Corridor under Global Gateway Initiative
At the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, the European Union (EU) and Team Europe announced a series of new strategic initiatives to expand their involvement in the Lobito Corridor, a key regional route connecting the southern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), north-western Zambia, and Angola to global markets through the Port of Lobito.
The new measures aim to strengthen regional economic integration, enhance agricultural value chains, and support technical and vocational education to meet the skills requirements linked to the corridor’s development.
European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela stated:
“As Team Europe, we believe that the Lobito Corridor can have a transformative impact on both economy and people in the whole region. It presents a significant opportunity to the development of local communities. Our aim is to unlock the potential of the corridor not only in critical raw materials, but also in different value chains that can be developed together with the corridor. We are reinforcing the cooperation between public and private key players, both in partner countries and in Europe. This is what Global Gateway is about: leveraging investments in strategic sectors to boost growth, job creation and stability.”
New Programme Announcements
The EU’s scale-up of the Lobito Corridor programme includes:
- €50 million agriculture-sector programme in Angola, supporting production, distribution, and investment in key agri-value chains.
- “From Transport to Trade: Lobito Corridor Catalyst” project (€8 million) in Angola, with a contribution agreement involving Invest International (Netherlands) and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the operationalisation of the Caála Logistics Platform.
- €10 million partnership with the DRC for the project “Agricultural value chains for food sovereignty, integrated rural development and ecological restoration in South-East Congo,” implemented by GoCongo Enterprise.
- €6 million EU grant to TradeMark Africa, supporting regional trade facilitation and harmonisation of customs procedures between the DRC and Angola.
- €9.8 million contribution to UNIDO for vocational training in Zambia’s artisanal mining sector.
- €36 million agreement with GIZ to promote inclusive and sustainable legume and horticulture value chains in Zambia, enhancing smallholder linkages and rural job creation.
Strategic Impact
Through these investments, the EU aims to position the Lobito Corridor as a transformative artery that:
- Secures access to critical raw-material value chains.
- Facilitates regional transport and trade.
- Strengthens sustainable agricultural production and smallholder productivity.
- Expands vocational training and employment in energy, transport, logistics, agriculture, and raw-materials sectors.
The initiative also seeks to bolster access to essential resources for European industries while building stronger trade and investment ties with African partners.
Background
The Lobito Corridor—a Global Gateway flagship launched at the 2023 Forum—is Africa’s first open-access transcontinental rail link, anchored by the Port of Lobito. It connects land-locked, resource-rich areas of Angola, the DRC, and Zambia, facilitating cross-border trade and economic diversification.
EU engagement follows a comprehensive approach encompassing economic diversification, infrastructure, governance, and environmental sustainability, focused on five priority sectors: renewable energy and climate, critical raw-material value chains, transit and trade facilitation, vocational training and skills, and agricultural value chains.
Global Gateway Forum brings together global leaders, the private sector, and development institutions to promote sustainable infrastructure investment in line with the SDGs.
Global Gateway represents the EU’s strategic offer to reduce investment gaps and build clean, secure, and smart connectivity across digital, energy, and transport sectors. It aims to mobilise up to €300 billion in public and private investment between 2021 and 2027.
