Group calls for establishment of Lobito Corridor agency

The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has urged government to establish a National Corridor Development Agency to improve coordination among stakeholders and ensure Zambia fully benefited from the Lobito Corridor.

In a statement issued on Thursday, CTPD Executive Director, Isaac Mwaipopo, said the proposed agency would provide a clear institutional framework for coordinating stakeholders, promoting community participation and enhancing collaboration among government ministries.

He said such a framework would improve transparency, reduce institutional fragmentation and ensure investments along the Corridor are aligned with Zambia’s national development priorities.

“Government should consider establishing a National Corridor Development Agency to provide a clear institutional framework for stakeholder coordination, community participation and inter-ministerial collaboration. Such a framework would strengthen transparency, reduce institutional fragmentation and ensure that investments along the Corridor align with Zambia’s development priorities,” Mwaipopo said.

He added that the Lobito Corridor should be viewed as more than a transport route, describing it as a strategic economic asset with the potential to drive industrialisation, create jobs and improve livelihoods.

He said the Corridor offered Zambia an opportunity to strengthen its trade competitiveness by reducing transport costs, improving access to regional and international markets and attracting investment.

He, however, cautioned that the Corridor’s success would depend on effective coordination among the many stakeholders involved.

“The success of the Corridor will depend less on infrastructure alone and more on how effectively Zambia coordinates the stakeholders involved. Without effective coordination, Zambia risks becoming merely a transit economy rather than leveraging the Corridor to stimulate domestic production, value addition and employment,” he said.

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