Africa Finance Corporation names Lobito Corridor builders
The multibillion-dollar development is part of Washington’s attempt to challenge China’s dominance in Africa’s mining export market.
The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has selected a European-Turkish consortium led by Webuild, Mota-Engil, and İçtaş to construct a railway line through Zambia as part of the Lobito Corridor project. This development is a crucial step in delivering critical minerals and metals to Angola’s Atlantic coast, challenging China’s dominance in Africa's mining export market.
The railway, which spans 515 kilometers, could cost up to $5 billion, though AFC CEO Samaila Zubairu declined to provide a specific figure while contract talks are ongoing. The project, backed by the US and EU, aims to create an alternative export route for critical metals like copper and cobalt. Zubairu emphasized that the Lobito Corridor would spur industrialization across Angola, Zambia, and neighboring DR Congo, as battery production could be more affordable and environmentally friendly in DR Congo than in China or Poland.
The route builds upon the colonial Benguela Railway, and interest in expanding it increased following the US, EU, Angola, Zambia, and DR Congo supporting the project in 2023. While no African companies made the final cut for building the railway, Zubairu stated that AFC prioritized builders with a proven track record of completing large infrastructure projects on time and within budget.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
