Central Corridor Extends South as Zambia joins.
Zambia has officially become a member of the Central Corridor, which connects landlocked countries to the Indian Ocean via Tanzania, extending the corridor's influence further south beyond the East African Community (EAC).
Zambia's Minister of Transport and Logistics, Frank Museba Tayali, signed the agreement formalising the country's full membership on 8th October, during a Council of Ministers meeting of the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The member states of the CCTTFA include Tanzania, which hosts the corridor’s only sea outlet at the port of Dar es Salaam, as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Malawi, the other non-EAC member, Zawya reports.
According to the CCTTFA, Zambia’s inclusion will boost the agency’s mission by enhancing economic activities along the corridor through streamlined customs procedures, reduced transit times, and lower transport costs.
The inclusion of Zambia is expected to further strengthen the Central Corridor’s position as a preferred trade route for regional and international commerce,
according to a statement by the agency.
The participation of the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency team in the meeting was very fruitful for increasing awareness and visibility in the forums that involve the experts and decision-makers in logistics, trade, government and international organizations.
Furthermore, the agreement would enable Zambia to formally integrate its transport infrastructure with the corridor, facilitating increased trade flows and promoting economic development throughout the region, the CCTTFA added.
Zambia is already well-connected to Tanzania via the Tazara railway, which runs from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi, and to the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Copperbelt railway line.
Moreover, Zambia’s decision to become a full member of the CCTTFA could have broader implications for the success of the proposed Lobito Corridor railway project, which aims to connect Angola to Tanzania across southern Africa.
With initial construction funding already pledged by the United States, early plans for the Lobito Corridor rail route show that it will span both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, passing through the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, further enhancing regional connectivity and trade potential.
Key topics being discussed include: Unlocking the potential of Zanzibar and Tanzania’s blue economy through logistics, developing sustainable multimodal transport corridors in Eastern Africa, trade facilitation in the RAME region: Intermodal connectivity and Customs integration, tackling cargo shipping challenges with technology and innovation, empowering emerging markets through digital and financial solutions.
The meeting sets the stage for strategic collaboration and transformative logistics development across the region.
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