Lobito - The United States of America is firmly committed to the success of the Lobito Corridor, through significant financial and technical assistance, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) representative in Angola, William Butterfield, said on Wednesday in the southern Benguela Province.
Speaking at the Lobito Corridor Support Coordination Conference, organized by the American government with the support of the Power Africa initiative, he said that this event reflects this commitment and the initiatives to expand its impact in the region.
To him, the development of the Lobito Corridor is the reflection of a multinational partnership with African governments, which aims to contribute to economic growth through strategic investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia and Angola.
"By facilitating the export of minerals from the DRC to the Port of Lobito, the Corridor plays a key role in addressing regional threats and the competitiveness of global trade", he added.
William Butterfield said he will also establish an efficient communication system, with clear roles, to monitor the performance and impact of initiatives.
He informed that support for the mining, agriculture, health and transport sectors is also included.
The USAID representative highlighted the relevance of the conference, as it is a platform to unite donors, development banks and private sector partners, with the aim of essential intervention projects in the Lobito Corridor.
On the other hand, he reaffirmed that the US is committed to mobilizing resources, both in the public and private sectors, to reinforce access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa, through the Power Africa initiative.
During the conference, participants are improving access to energy along the Lobito Corridor, analyzing ways to identify regional and national energy needs, mapping projects and their promoters.
According to the USAID representative, the United States government believes that the project will also contribute to the economic diversification of Angola, promoting investments in sectors such as agriculture, services and human capital development, in addition to ensuring reliable access to clean energy.
However, since it was launched in 2013, Power Africa supplied improved electricity to more than 200 million people in the sub-Saharan region.
With a total investment of about USD 25 billion, the initiative has already supported 154 energetic projects by generating over 14,000 megawatts of new electrical capacity for more than 43 million families and companies.
Currently, around 8,000 megawatts of power are already operational, providing cleaner, more reliable electricity.
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