Africa’s Lobito Corridor chief tells AFP business, not geopolitics, drives strategy

LUSAKA – The ambitious Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) project, a critical infrastructure initiative poised to reshape trade dynamics across Southern Africa, is firmly rooted in commercial viability, according to its chief executive, Nicholas Fournier. Speaking recently, Fournier underscored that the primary driver behind the 30-year concession to manage, operate, and develop the railway is the business of moving goods efficiently, rather than the broader geopolitical competition for Africa's vast mineral resources. This assertion comes as global powers increasingly eye Africa's critical minerals, particularly copper and cobalt, which are abundant in countries like Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Lobito Corridor offers a direct and significantly shorter route to the Atlantic Ocean for these landlocked nations, bypassing congested and often unreliable ports in South Africa. For Zambia, a nation heavily reliant on copper exports, the corridor represents a transformative opportunity to reduce transportation costs, improve export competitiveness, and potentially attract further investment into its mining sector. Fournier's stance aims to de-escalate perceptions that the project is merely a pawn in a larger geopolitical chess game between Western nations, China, and other global players vying for influence and access to strategic resources. Instead, he highlights the practical benefits: a more efficient logistics chain that will directly impact the profitability of mining operations and, by extension, the national economies of Zambia, the DRC, and Angola. The railway's rehabilitation and expansion are expected to dramatically cut transit times and costs, making Zambian copper more attractive on the international market. Historically, Zambia's reliance on southern routes through South Africa has subjected its exports to various challenges, including port congestion, industrial action, and lengthy transit times. The Lobito Corridor provides a much-n