Luanda: The re-launch of the Lobito Development Corridor has strengthened Angola’s geostrategic position regionally and definitively changed the way major economic powers view the country, the Minister of Transport Ricardo D’Abreu stated Friday in Luanda. This change, according to the minister, is due to the role the country, through the Lobito Corridor, can play in transporting minerals critical to the energy transition and the functioning of the economy, as well as safeguarding the environment and global sustainability.
According to Angola Press News Agency, speaking at the opening of the first edition of the “Angola Hub Transport and Logistics Summit,” the minister reviewed the structural reforms of the sector adopted by the government since 2018. He noted that the reforms include a comprehensive legal and regulatory review, including laws on aviation, maritime, ports and airport concessions, cargo, and logistics, as well as the construction of the international airport.
These initiatives include the tra
nsformation of the public and publicly owned business structure, notably the modernization of TAAG – Angolan Airlines, and the creation of strategic entities, such as the National Air Navigation Company (ENNA), the Airport Management Company (SGA), among others, which have contributed to the industry’s dynamism.
According to the minister, these initiatives have consolidated the sector, creating a modern, regulated, and efficient ecosystem, ensuring historical continuity and preparing Angola for decades of sustainable and competitive growth. “The transportation sector is currently a true and relevant driver of economic growth and regional integration, with projects that elevate Angola to a new level,” the minister said.
Despite this progress, the minister highlighted challenges such as strengthening mobility between rail, road, and ports, reducing logistics costs and increasing efficiency, attracting more private operators, and consolidating strategic partnerships. He also spoke about boosting public-private
partnerships with leading groups, engaging solid and credible financial institutions, training highly qualified national professionals, and increasing Angola’s integration into the global logistics network, meeting international quality and safety standards and ensuring sustainable and efficient operations.
Held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of National Independence, to be celebrated on November 11, the “Angola Hub Transport and Logistics Summit” aims to establish the country as an air, maritime, port, and rail hub, capable of connecting Africa to the world, consolidating sovereignty, boosting economic growth, and projecting the country as a continental benchmark in this sector. The three-day event brings together 100 national and international companies, 24 startups, as well as experts and business leaders.