Zambia Secures $50 Million Deal with BADEA for Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola Road Project
Zambia has signed a landmark $50 million cooperation agreement with the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) to finance the construction of the Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola Road Project in Western Province. This critical infrastructure development, which promises to enhance regional connectivity and promote economic growth, is set to improve access between Zambia and Angola, offering a direct trade route to Angolan ports.
The agreement was signed today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between Zambia’s Finance and National Planning Minister, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, and BADEA President, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah. The signing ceremony marks a significant step in Zambia’s efforts to modernize its road network, particularly in remote areas often isolated during the rainy season.
In addition to the $50 million concessional agreement for the road project, the two parties also signed a $500,000 capacity-building agreement aimed at enhancing the skills of public officials in key sectors such as finance, trade, and energy development. This initiative seeks to equip Zambian officials with the expertise needed to drive national development through effective governance and resource management.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr. Musokotwane emphasized the project’s importance in achieving several key sustainable development goals (SDGs), including industrial development, innovation, infrastructure, decent work, and economic growth. He highlighted the transformative potential of the road project, particularly for the underdeveloped regions of Zambia.
“The US$ 50 million concessional agreement is part of our broader strategy to strengthen Zambia’s infrastructure and promote economic inclusivity. By improving the road network in Western Province, we are not only creating more job opportunities but also facilitating cross-border trade, which will help elevate many people in the region above the poverty line,” Dr. Musokotwane said.
He further explained that the Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola Road would address the long-standing issue of poor connectivity in Western Province, especially during the rainy season when entire communities are cut off due to flooding. The new road will offer a reliable link between these remote areas and the rest of Zambia, ensuring year-round access to essential goods and services. The improved infrastructure will also bolster agricultural production and trade by providing farmers with better access to markets, both domestically and internationally.
BADEA President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, speaking at the same event, echoed the Minister’s sentiments, calling the Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola Road Project a “cornerstone” of Zambia’s national development strategy. He emphasized the project’s role in facilitating trade and boosting regional integration.
“By opening up access to Angolan ports, this road will facilitate greater trade between Zambia and Angola, accelerate economic growth, and strengthen regional integration across Southern Africa. This project will be pivotal in Zambia’s efforts to leverage its geographical position as a hub for trade and development in the region,” Dr. Tah said.
The road project is expected to not only benefit Zambia but also contribute to broader efforts aimed at regional economic integration. With improved access to Angola’s ports, Zambia will have greater potential to tap into international markets, making the country more competitive in global trade. This, in turn, could spur further investment and development in the Western Province, which has traditionally lagged behind other regions in terms of infrastructure and economic opportunities.
The agreements between Zambia and BADEA are part of a broader collaboration that extends beyond infrastructure development. The capacity-building initiative, valued at $500,000, is specifically designed to enhance the capabilities of Zambian public officials. By focusing on key areas like finance, trade, and energy, the initiative aims to ensure that Zambia has the human capital necessary to implement complex projects and foster sustainable development in the long term.
Today’s agreements are another milestone in Zambia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with international financial institutions and development partners. With infrastructure being a key driver of economic growth, the Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola Road Project is expected to play a significant role in Zambia’s development trajectory, ensuring that the country remains on a path toward prosperity and regional leadership.
This is according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.
Please don’t forget about the Mokambo-Chembe pedicle road. It’s also of equal importance as regards trade with the DRC. This circa 50km road project started in 2010, but still far from completion. Let’s set our priorities right.
The pedicle is, apart from trade with DRC, actually very important and strategic for trade, commerce logistics between Luapula and the copperbelt Central and North Western Province.
The Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola Road is long overdue. The economic potential of this road cannot be overemphasised. Angola has so much resources including oil, diamonds, beans, etc. Angola ports would be much shorter than Durban or Dar es Salam, at least to Western Province. We could also trade our resources including English education to Angola.
There are also lots of Zambians who have original roots to Angola who migrated to Zambia during the Savimbi UNITA wars, the Mbundas, Luvales and Chokwes. These people have been traveling on foot to travel between Angola and Kalabo. Please build this road fast!
OUR POOR GRANDCHILDREN
Your grand children will be paying for this monies misappropriated. Politicians are demons in flesh!!!!!!!
How do you want the road to be constructed for FREE ? Ridiculous.
Not all are like Lungu who gave out 90 mil kwacha as birthday gifts, and yet you are calling for his comeback.
Just keep quiet if nothing to say. Just because it’s in Western Province you think it’s a bad idea, hence we changed the government’s because such myopic ideas
When PF constructed the Kalabo Mongu highway they were criticised for borrowing too much. I guess the opposition wanted it to be constructed for free
Not a word on how long the Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola road is so that discerning readers can estimate what we’re getting into. There’s something I cannot say here which requires passing on only by word of mouth to our officials.
Another long winded vague statement that doesnt explain what this capacity building is?
Scholarships? Salaries? Is this language meant to hide what this money will be used for and do “wako ni wako?” In the disbursement of these funds? You promised transparency ndye transparency?
“The capacity-building initiative, valued at $500,000, is specifically designed to enhance the capabilities of Zambian public officials. By focusing on key areas like finance, trade, and energy, the initiative aims to ensure that Zambia has the human capital necessary to implement complex projects and foster sustainable development in the long term.”
Every project has phases, this is the result of PHASE 1 – the presentation of the business case to get funding !!
Detail plan outlining the project duration should come after project initiation phase which will involve planning.
For now thank them for having completed phase 1, which is funding.
Mate use the Internet, Google and Maps to estimate how long the road is. It is definitely longer than the Ndola Lusaka road that cost almost half a billion dollars. At $50m if that is the estimated cost, I would argue it sounds cheap, very cheap. Hope it is a 4-lane road (2x in each direction).
70 km for $50 million is good value for money. If it were the other guys, it would have been $100 million with pretence to put hotels on the road.
What I do not understand though is that from the Angola border it is 95 km to connect with the tarred road at Chiume. Is the Angolan government going to build this part?
At the current rate of $2million per km this will cater for only 25km of road.
$50million.
No mention of the length of the road.
very poor reporting
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A couple of years ago deals where signed and the contractor setup Camp and started the road preliminary road works on that road. Next thing the road works stalled, another year or so the contractor packed their equipment and left the site for good. Rumours on the ground were that Zambia didn’t fulfill its part of the deal which was 12% financing of the project. We need to hold our elected leaders accountable.
Hopefully the road will be done and allow for easy access with Angola on that boarder.
We still trying to find out about the Dual carriage way from 1.2 Billion to 650 Million
As the deal was signed on behalf of the Zambian People why are we not allowed to access it ???
Mate use the Internet, Google and Maps to estimate how long the road is. It is definitely longer than the Ndola Lusaka road that cost almost half a billion dollars. At $50m if that is the estimated cost, I would argue it sounds cheap, very cheap. Hope it is a 4-lane (2x in each direction).