Huambo — The Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Lobito Corridor Master Plan received contributions on Monday in Huambo from academics, non-governmental organisations, civil society representatives and public administrators during a public consultation process aimed at benefiting local communities, businesses and institutions.

The consultation, organised by the Diversifica Mais Project Implementation Unit in partnership with the Angolan Regulatory Agency for Cargo and Logistics Certification (ARCCLA), covers five Angolan provinces located along the Lobito Corridor: Benguela, Bié, Huambo, Moxico and Moxico Leste.

Public consultations have already been conducted in Moxico Leste, Moxico and Huambo, while similar sessions are scheduled for Bié and Benguela on Tuesday and Thursday this week.

The meeting presented integrated planning instruments and the territorial, economic and logistics development framework for the corridor over the coming decades, as well as the main findings of the Strategic Environmental Assessment, including identified opportunities, challenges and recommendations for future growth.

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Beyond being a technical exercise, the process is regarded as a decisive step towards reconciling the corridor's expansion through trade, private investment and job creation with environmental and social sustainability standards, ensuring long-term benefits for communities, businesses and institutions across the participating provinces.

Huambo Vice-Governor for Political, Social and Economic Affairs, Angelino Elavoco, said the consultation process reflects the Angolan Government's integrated vision for sustainable development.

He stated that the Lobito Corridor represents an important shift from a traditional extractive logistics model towards a multimodal, integrated and environmentally responsible ecosystem.

The official praised the Ministry of Planning and its consortium partners for the methodological rigour applied in preparing the Lobito Corridor Master Plan, from the studies undertaken and the mapping of georeferenced infrastructure at various stages to the consolidation of the overall strategy.

Angelino Elavoco noted that Huambo occupies a privileged and highly strategic geographical position along the corridor, serving as a central hub linking the Atlantic coast to central and eastern Angola and extending towards the borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.

He added that Huambo's location places greater responsibility on the province in the reception, processing and enhancement of agricultural and industrial value chains, making it essential that both the Strategic Environmental Assessment and the Master Plan accurately incorporate local social and economic realities.

The Master Plan is an initiative of the Angolan Government, financed by the World Bank, with the objective of accelerating economic diversification, attracting private investment and promoting sustainable job creation along the Lobito Corridor.

The Lobito Corridor is a transport and logistics route in Angola linking the Port of Lobito on the Atlantic Ocean to the mining and agricultural regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, through the integration of the historic Benguela Railway. ZZN/ALH/DOJ