Africa’s oil production is expected to reach 7 billion barrels by the end of 2025, making modernizing trade corridors increasingly important to ensure reliable energy supplies to landlocked countries. The African Development Bank (AfDB) announced in March 2025 that it had financed 25 transport corridors across Africa over the past decade, including the construction of more than 18,000 kilometers of roads, 27 border crossings and 16 bridges. These projects are key to improving regional connectivity and economic integration, particularly in facilitating the transport of refined petroleum products to enhance energy security.
Lobito Corridor
The Lobito Corridor is a 1,300km rail link connecting the port of Lobito in Angola with the mineral-rich Copperbelt of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. The corridor is designed to facilitate the export of copper, cobalt and other critical minerals and provides a shorter, more cost-effective alternative to the southern route. In August 2025, Zambia’s national electricity company ZESCO formed a joint venture with Anzana Electric Group to provide the first electricity grid to approximately 2 million Zambians along the Lobito Corridor by 2030.
Current investments in the Lobito Corridor include more than €550 million in rail infrastructure, rolling stock and modernization. Operator Lobito Atlantic Railway is in the final stages of closing a $533 million loan with the US Development Finance Institution by the end of 2025 to upgrade the railway section in Angola. Cargo volumes are expected to double by 2026, with the long-term goal reaching 1.5 million tonnes per year. Future expansions include extending the line to Zambia, with feasibility studies underway.
Douala-N-Djamena Corridor
The Douala-N’Djamena Corridor connects the port of Douala in Cameroon with N’Djamena in Chad and Bangui in the Central African Republic. The corridor plays a vital role in importing refined petroleum products to landlocked Chad and the Central African Republic. In March 2025, the AfDB approved approximately €330 million for the reconstruction of the Ngaoundere-Garua line. Additionally, the EU is investing €40 million to modernize the corridor to reduce costs and delays.
Dakar-Bamako-Ouagadougou Corridor
The corridor linking Dakar in Senegal with Bamako in Mali and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso is an important trade and logistics axis, particularly for the export of fuel and refined products to landlocked countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso. The Diema-Sandare road section is being paved under a World Bank-funded program to improve access, reduce travel times, and reduce transportation costs. Additionally, there is growing interest in modernizing and extending the rail line between Dakar and Bamako to support iron ore mining and bulk transportation.
east africa corridor
The East African Corridor is a trade transport route linking Kenya’s Mombasa port with inland markets in Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. A refined petroleum products pipeline between Mombasa and Nairobi is now operational, and standard gauge rail expansion is planned to improve bulk transport while reducing dependence on fuel trucks. This corridor is important for moving energy inputs, mining output, and industrial products, reducing costs and shortening transportation times. It will also support regional integration and trade efficiency, strengthening East Africa’s ability to export minerals and distribute refined petroleum products to landlocked countries.
Lagos-Cotonou-Niamey Corridor
The Lagos-Cotonou-Niamey Corridor is a trade route connecting Nigeria, Benin, and Niger. Under the EU’s Global Gateway Initiative, the corridor supports the Strategic Infrastructure Plan of the Economic Community of West African States by improving regional connectivity and economic integration. This serves as an important link for Niger’s mining sector, which relies on export routes for minerals such as gold and uranium. Additionally, the corridor supports the import of refined petroleum products into Niger and northern Nigeria. The Cotonou-Niamey Corridor Operational Efficiency Project, funded by the development organization Millennium Challenge Corporation, aims to reduce transport costs and improve customs efficiency. The project is expected to benefit more than 1.6 million people by improving road conditions, streamlining customs procedures and modernizing transport operations.
