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Four statutory bodies under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry have pledged to empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with critical business skills through the Lobito Corridor Trade Facilitation Project.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA), and Zambia Metrology Agency (ZMA) made the commitment during a module development workshop held Monday in Chisamba.
The training initiative targets SMEs in the North-Western and Copperbelt provinces.
Chairperson of the SME Training Committee under the Lobito Corridor Trade Facilitation Project, Humphrey Nkobeni—who also serves as Executive Director of ZMA—described SMEs as the “engine of inclusive and sustainable development.”
He affirmed the four institutions’ readiness to build the capacity of SMEs.
“SMEs account for over 70 percent of employment and contribute significantly to Zambia’s GDP,” Nkobeni said.
He said: “Yet many entrepreneurs lack access to modern business skills, market intelligence, financial literacy, and value chain integration.”
Nkobeni emphasized that the collaboration among the four institutions would help achieve the project’s core goal: accelerating growth in both domestic and cross-border trade along the Lobito Corridor.
“This will be realized through harmonized trade facilitation tools, stronger coordination of joint development efforts, and increased SME participation in value chains such as cassava, honey, and peanut butter,” Nkobeni explained.
He further described the workshop as a critical step in preparing SMEs to take full advantage of the Lobito Corridor—a transformative trade and infrastructure initiative connecting Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“The Lobito Corridor is more than a transport route; it is a gateway to inclusive growth, regional integration, and industrialization.
“But infrastructure alone doesn’t bring prosperity—it is the capacity of people and businesses to leverage it that matters,” Nkobeni said.
The workshop aims to bridge skills and knowledge gaps by developing practical, targeted, and forward-looking training modules tailored to SME needs along the corridor.
It also focuses on scaling up, formalizing, and connecting SMEs—especially women- and youth-led enterprises—to regional markets.
This initiative is part of broader interventions under the Lobito Corridor Trade Facilitation Project, supported by the African Development Bank.
The project seeks to boost both domestic and cross-border trade among Angola, DRC, and Zambia.
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