• DFC signals readiness to fund up to $1B for DRC’s Dilolo–Sakania railway rehabilitation.

• Mota-Engil emerges as leading contender for the Lobito Corridor concession as PPP talks accelerate.

• New state export quotas aim to secure rail volumes while broadening the corridor’s economic impact.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced on December 5, 2025, that it has issued a Letter of Intent to Mota-Engil, indicating its willingness to finance the rehabilitation and operation of the Dilolo–Sakania railway line in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This commitment places the Portuguese group in a strong position to secure the concession for the Congolese section of the Lobito Corridor, an infrastructure project central to the strategic partnership between Washington and Kinshasa. Designed as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), the corridor is intended to link the mineral-rich Katanga region to the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola.

Mota-Engil already plays a significant role in the corridor’s development. Alongside Trafigura and Vecturis, it forms the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) consortium, which has held the concession for the Angolan segment since 2022. Although the DRC has not yet officially announced its concessionaire, discussions are rushing.

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), which is driving expansion toward Zambia, recently confirmed that talks surrounding the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract are at an advanced stage. This pace suggests that technical mobilisation could begin soon after financing is finalised. Deputy Prime Minister for Transport Jean-Pierre Bemba emphasised this momentum at the Makutano Forum on November 26, noting that the trilateral steering committee comprising the DRC, the U.S., and the EU is advancing the project.

The financing package reflects broader U.S. ambitions to secure mineral supply chains. A strategic agreement signed on December 4 outlines export quotas requiring state-owned enterprises to route 50% of their copper, 30% of their cobalt, and 90% of their zinc through the Lobito Corridor over the next five years. By limiting these obligations to public entities such as Gécamines and its subsidiaries, the government aims to ensure sufficient cargo volume without provoking immediate legal disputes with private mining giants, many of whom have binding contracts with Chinese-affiliated logistics operators.

While minerals underpin the project's economic viability, stakeholders emphasise that the corridor is conceived as more than a mining route. AFC President Samaila Zubairu has highlighted its potential to unlock agricultural productivity along the rail line by providing reliable transport for crops grown in fertile but underutilised lands. According to Jean-Pierre Bemba, the corridor could boost the DRC’s GDP by 2 to 3 per cent, combining gains in mining, industry, and agriculture, while generating around 10,000 direct jobs during the rehabilitation phase.

Financing commitments appear sufficient to meet the estimated $1.1 billion needed for the rehabilitation of the Dilolo–Sakania segment and its extension to the Zambian border. In addition to DFC’s potential $1 billion contribution, the European Investment Bank has indicated support of €500 million, while the World Bank is prepared to provide $500 million.

Once operational, the Lobito route is expected to improve regional competitiveness significantly. Transport from Tenke or Kolwezi to the port of Lobito could take as little as 5 to 8 days, compared to approximately 25 days for Durban-bound shipments, potentially reducing logistics costs by up to 30%. Authorities anticipate first-year export volumes of 1 million tons and import volumes of 500,000 tons.

The corridor’s success, however, will depend on resolving key technical and market challenges. Ensuring gauge compatibility between the Congolese and Angolan railway systems is essential to avoid costly transhipment operations. Another decisive factor will be whether private mining companies—many with long-standing commercial ties to Chinese buyers and operators—choose to redirect their exports through a U.S.-supported route. Their participation will shape the concession's long-term economic viability and determine whether the Lobito Corridor can fulfil its promise as a transformative regional infrastructure.

Idriss Linge, with Pierre Mukoko from Bankable Africa