Africa Finance Corporation names Lobito Corridor builders

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has reached a critical milestone in regional logistics by announcing the preferred builders for the Zambian portion of the much-anticipated Lobito Corridor railway project. A prominent international consortium featuring Italy's Webuild S.p.A., Portugal's Mota-Engil, and Turkey's IC İçtaş Construction has been selected through a rigorous competitive tender process to undertake the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the greenfield railway. This ambitious project involves laying down roughly 517 kilometers of new rail tracks within Zambia, forming an essential leg of the broader ~830-kilometer connection stretching to Angola's Atlantic port of Lobito. For Zambia, a landlocked nation heavily reliant on efficient trade routes for its primary copper and cobalt exports, the Lobito Corridor represents a strategic economic lifeline. Historically, mining companies and agricultural exporters have faced severe bottlenecks and protracted transit times moving goods eastward to regional ports. The new western route is projected to slash freight transit times to international markets from approximately 16 days down to just seven. Beyond metals, the infrastructure is expected to catalyze local value addition, spur agricultural output, and anchor new industrial zones along the trade route. The project is heavily backed by international partners, including the United States and the European Union, as part of broader efforts under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) and the EU's Global Gateway. Furthermore, it aligns closely with initiatives like Italy's Mattei Plan, which emphasizes equitable industrial partnerships and development finance. With preferred bidders now established, official contract negotiations are scheduled to begin in November, with stakeholders aiming to finalize agreements within an eight-to-twelve-week window. While the announcement brings palpable excitement to Lusaka and intern