Luanda: The Angolan Head of State and President pro tempore of the African Union, Joo Louren§o, highlighted the progress made by Angola in constructing and modernizing essential infrastructure over the 50 years of independence, reaffirming the country’s commitment to the integrated development of Africa.
According to Angola Press News Agency, during the opening of the 3rd Summit on Infrastructure Financing in Africa, taking place in the Luanda boulevard, the Head of State recalled Angola’s upcoming 50th anniversary of national independence on November 11th. This milestone reflects half a century of continuous efforts to build, expand, and modernize economic and social infrastructure. President Joo Louren§o noted the development of infrastructure such as the new Dr. Ant³nio Agostinho Neto International Airport and expansions in the national road network, ports, and the new deepwater port of Caio in Cabinda.
In the energy sector, Joo Louren§o stated that Angola has sufficient electricity generation capacity to meet its needs but continues to invest in large projects like the Caculo Caba§a Dam, with a capacity of 2,172 megawatts. He highlighted the country’s hydroelectric potential, with projects offering an additional potential of over 8,000 megawatts in multiple river basins, including the binational Baynes Dam Project shared with Namibia. The President mentioned plans to connect Cabinda to the national energy grid from Soyo using a submarine cable.
Joo Louren§o expressed Angola’s intention to share its energy production with Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Central African countries via public-private partnerships facilitating the construction of cross-border transmission lines. In the water sector, he presented structural projects like BITA and Quilonga Grande, which aim to increase the supply of drinking water to an additional 7.5 million inhabitants in Luanda and Icolo e Bengo.
The President also mentioned infrastructure projects in Cunene and Namibe provinces to combat drought effects and announced investments in telecommunications, including a new earth observation satellite and the expansion of the national fiber optic network. These developments aim to democratize access to digital solutions and technological innovation throughout Angola.
President Joo Louren§o emphasized that ongoing investments are crucial for Angola’s structural transformation, which the country intends to share within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Union’s efforts to build a more integrated, modern, and prosperous Africa. The Summit in Luanda brings together Heads of State and Government, regional leaders, representatives of financial institutions, and international partners to mobilize resources and strengthen cooperation for implementing structural projects in alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.