Lobito Atlantic Railway train carrying mineral cargo to the Port of Lobito (Courtesy of Lobito Atlantic Railway)
The U.S. partnership with Angola is bringing major investments in transportation, clean energy and other projects that will further connect the southern African nation to the global economy and increase opportunity.
The United States and G7 partners Italy and the European Union are investing in the Lobito Corridor, a trade route that connects Angola’s Atlantic Port of Lobito to Zambia and the the Democratic Republic of the Congo through a new and refurbished railway, and numerous other projects.
The revitalized corridor, part of the U.S. and G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI), will spur economic growth through transportation infrastructure, digital connectivity, health resources, clean power and agricultural development projects.
The United States supports efforts to upgrade a port and 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) of the Lobito Atlantic Railway. The railway will transport minerals needed for clean energy production, and will boost regional trade and development by improving access to global markets.
Other U.S. infrastructure initiatives include:
Loans totaling $2.5 billion to build solar power plants, mini-grids and energy storage facilities that will deliver clean power to Angola.
Guaranteeing a $363 million loan for the construction of 186 modular steel bridges needed to modernize Angola’s road system.
A $1 million grant to help the Angolan Ministry of Transportation develop a public-private partnership to manage additional investments in the port and railway.
Grow a reliable food supply
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is helping women farmers in Angola, seen tending crops in April 2024, expand their businesses. (USAID)
Despite its 40 million hectares of arable farmland, Angola has traditionally imported most of its food. Now with the support of the U.S. and other partners, Angola is poised to become an agricultural hub.
Through the PGI, the U.S. supports efforts of the Carrinho Group, Angola’s largest food producer, to build a reliable local food supply for Angola and the region. Carrinho provides farmers with seeds, fertilizers and money to grow their businesses.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with ExxonMobil, Azule Energy and Grupo Simples, is training rural women in Angola on farming techniques, literacy and other skills needed to secure land rights, access jobs and increase agricultural productivity.
The U.S. has invested in Angola’s public health for decades, contributing significant resources in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria. The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) aims to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. To date, PEPFAR has:
Provided HIV/AIDS-related treatment for 24,847 children and adults in Angola.
Eliminated HIV/AIDS medication shortages at 22 Angolan health facilities.
The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative has invested $415 million in Angola since 2006. It funds malaria diagnosis and treatment, and also the treated bed nets that protect sleeping Angolans from malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Measures like these already have reduced malaria-caused deaths 29% since 2020.
