His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, Amos Hochstein, Senior Advisor to President Biden, and Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of the Africa Finance Company (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org) convened the Partnership for International Infrastructure and Funding (PGI) Lobito Hall Non-public Sector Investor Discussion board in Lusaka in the present day. That is the primary PGI Investor Discussion board exterior the US, bringing collectively over 250 enterprise and authorities leaders from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the European Union, the US, and Zambia, in addition to worldwide traders and business leaders to speed up personal sector funding within the Lobito Hall, which is able to join the DRC and Zambia with world markets via Angola.
The Lobito Hall is the primary strategic PGI financial hall launched by President Biden on the G7 Summit in Japan in Might 2023 underneath the flagship G7 Partnership for International Infrastructure and Funding initiative. The hall will combine the African continent and improve connections with world markets by increasing export potentialities, boosting regional commerce, and rising key market segments, all whereas creating respectable jobs and enhancing lives.
PGI’s efforts to improve and construct new railway will outcome within the first trans-African rail line, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. A U.S. Growth Finance Company (DFC) $250 million funding, at present in due diligence, would help the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) consortium that’s upgrading and working a 1,200 km Benguela rail line throughout Angola with advisory help from the Africa Finance Company (AFC). The LAR improve will dramatically scale back transport time, higher join essential mineral-rich areas within the DRC with the worldwide markets and decrease the carbon emissions footprint of products at present moved by street. By reducing prices for companies alongside the hall, it is going to additionally open new markets, together with agribusiness.
The Investor Discussion board follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in October 2023 through which the African Growth Financial institution, the AFC, the governments of Angola, DRC, Zambia and the US, and the European Fee underscored their shared dedication to creating the Lobito Hall. The MOU named AFC as lead developer on the brand new Zambia-Lobito rail line extending from the Benguela line into northwest Zambia. Along with rail, PGI is investing catalytic public funds alongside G7 and African companions in varied sectors, demonstrating a brand new mannequin of holistic private-sector led infrastructure growth whereas sustaining robust labor and environmental requirements, and selling commerce and funding on the African continent.
The PGI Discussion board marks the companions coming collectively to additional mobilize personal sector funding throughout the Lobito Hall and unlock the large potential of this area. Through the discussion board in Lusaka, the U.S. Authorities and companions introduced extra commitments to the hall:
- DFC introduced that its Board of Administrators simply authorized a brand new $250 million debt facility to the AFC that will help their efforts to develop high-quality and high-standards infrastructure throughout the continent. That potential challenge is now pending congressional assessment. DFC additionally marked its dedication to offer a $10 million mortgage to Seba Meals Zambia, the primary U.S. meals and agriculture funding alongside the Lobito Hall.
- Moreover, the US Commerce and Growth Company (USTDA) introduced a feasibility examine grant to REV-UP Photo voltaic Ventures Zambia to develop an estimated 200-megawatt solar energy plant and battery power storage system in Solwezi, Zambia. The challenge will provide clear, steady electrical energy to Zambian business and households and has the potential to offer energy for 2 essential mineral mines within the DRC.
- This week LAR introduced a six-year export cargo term-sheet with Canadian mining firm Ivanhoe that can advance the rail line’s ambitions to change into the main rail transport hyperlink in sub-Saharan Africa and help clear power provide chain diversification.
- Supporting efforts to unlock the potential of the Copperbelt area, AFC has entered into an MOU with Congolese commodity buying and selling and mining firm La Générale des Carrières et des Mines (Gécamines) to undertake the event of essential minerals within the DRC. AFC has additionally signed an expression of curiosity with Kobaloni Power to offer $100 million in financing for a cobalt refinery in Chingola, Zambia, with the target of constructing the primary electrical automobile battery grade cobalt sulphate plant on the African continent.
These bulletins construct on the greater than $1 billion of U.S. authorities investments made in Angola previously yr. This contains an Export-Import Financial institution of the US (EXIM) authorization of a greater than $900 million mortgage supporting building of two photo voltaic power energy vegetation that can generate over 500 megawatts of renewable power, and an extra $363 million EXIM mortgage assure to help financing and building of over 180 bridges connecting rural Angolan communities. Additional, two USAID grants are enabling Africell’s current cellular cash launch to succeed in extra underserved populations, and to broaden an present program supporting ladies farmers to communities across the Lobito Atlantic rail line.
Right now’s milestone underlines the significance of the Lobito Hall initiative. The hall is an important logistics hub that connects the area to worldwide markets whereas demonstrating that strategic public infrastructure funding can mobilize personal funding throughout a number of sectors to advertise financial progress that transforms the area.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Finance Company (AFC).
Media Enquiries:
Yewande Thorpe
Communications
Africa Finance Company
Cellular : +234 1 279 9654
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About AFC:
AFC was established in 2007 to be the catalyst for personal sector-led infrastructure funding throughout Africa. AFC’s strategy combines specialist business experience with a deal with monetary and technical advisory, challenge structuring, challenge growth, and danger capital to deal with Africa’s infrastructure growth wants and drive sustainable financial progress.
Sixteen years on, AFC has developed a monitor file because the associate of selection in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure property that present important companies within the core infrastructure sectors of energy, pure assets, heavy business, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 42 member international locations and has invested US$13 billion throughout Africa since inception.
www.AfricaFC.org
