In this op-ed, Haim Taib argues that the Lobito Corridor — a flagship initiative backed by the U.S., European Union, and G7 partners — represents far more than infrastructure. Running from Angola’s Atlantic coast through Zambia and the DRC, with future extensions to Tanzania, the corridor will cut mineral transport time from over 30 days to just 6. But the deeper opportunity, he writes, lies in the more than 40 million lives it connects across three countries.
To unlock that potential, Taib partnered with Angola’s Sovereign Wealth Fund to co-found the $1 billion Lobito Corridor Impact Development Platform — an independent financial vehicle designed to attract private investment into infrastructure, agriculture, digital services, vocational training, and industrial development. The piece frames this as a model for bridging private capital with public purpose, and points to Mitrelli’s recent Washington, D.C. office opening as a step toward scaling U.S.–Africa public-private collaboration.
With Africa’s population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050 — and over 40% of the world’s youth under 18 living on the continent — Taib makes the case that the Lobito Corridor is a test of collective commitment to inclusive, sustainable development, and a generational opportunity the world cannot afford to miss.