Op-Ed: Zambia’s Manganese Blind Spot Could Undermine Its Lobito Ambitions

As Zambia positions itself as a critical player in the global energy transition, policymakers are being urged to reevaluate a potential blind spot in the nation's mineral strategy. While considerable diplomatic and financial capital has been channeled into developing the Lobito Corridor—a strategic rail link designed to streamline copper and cobalt exports from the Copperbelt and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Atlantic coast of Angola—analysts note that manganese is frequently sidelined. This oversight could undermine the broader economic objectives of the corridor, leaving vital regional mineral wealth stranded or underexploited. Manganese is an indispensable component in steel production and is increasingly critical for the manufacturing of certain electric vehicle battery chemistries. Zambia holds significant manganese deposits, predominantly scattered across the Luapula, Central, and Serenje districts. However, unlike the heavily capitalized copper and cobalt sectors, small-scale miners often dominate manganese extraction, facing severe logistical bottlenecks, irregular regulatory enforcement, and a lack of primary processing facilities. Consequently, much of the mineral is exported in raw form, yielding minimal value addition for the local economy. The development of the Lobito Corridor presents a generational opportunity to transform landlocked Zambia into a regional logistics hub. Yet, transport logistics and freight allocation models currently favor high-value copper trade, risking the marginalization of bulk commodities like manganese that require cost-effective rail solutions to remain competitive on the global market. Industry stakeholders emphasize that railway operators and state planners must intentionally incorporate branch lines and storage facilities tailored to manganese-rich regions to ensure inclusive economic growth. Furthermore, the environmental and social governance (ESG) dimensions of manganese mining warrant urgent attention. Ar