Japan has donated $6.5 million to improve infrastructure for small farmers along the Lobito Corridor, a railway linking Angola to neighboring countries, Lusa reported on Monday, August 18.
According to available information, the agreement was signed in the capital, Luanda, between Japan and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which will implement the initiative starting in September. The project will benefit 620 small farmers in Benguela and Huambo provinces through the development of irrigation and storage infrastructure.
The agreement was signed by Japan’s ambassador to Angola, Sano Hiroaki, and Frederic Frippiat, head of UNOPS’ Multi-Country Office program in Central Africa. In his remarks, the Japanese diplomat emphasized that the project will run for two years and will also focus on training small producers in new production techniques, highlighting Japan’s ongoing support in transferring technology to advance Angolan agriculture.
Frederic Frippiat stressed that infrastructure improvements are crucial to prevent production losses and increase annual harvest volumes. The Lobito Corridor is a railway infrastructure spanning 1,300 kilometers across Angola, connecting the port of Lobito on the coast to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), facilitating the transport of critical minerals from the Copperbelt (DRC) and Kolwezi (Zambia).
Operations are managed by the Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium, which includes Portuguese firm Mota-Engil, Swiss company Trafigura, and Belgian Vecturis. The project is expected to involve nearly $1 billion in investment, partially financed by the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
This initiative is also part of the European Global Gateway program, which aims to develop new infrastructure in developing countries. The European Union has announced a $700 million package through the Global Infrastructure and Investment Partnership under the Group of Seven (G7).
Source: Diário Económico
