The Zambian government has successfully ratified the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor (WBNLDC) Tripartite Agreement and deposited the instruments of ratification with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), solidifying the connection between the Port of Walvis Bay in Namibia, Ndola in Zambia's Copperbelt, and Lubumbashi in the mineral-rich Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).According to a spokesman for the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), the WBNLDC is designed to create an alternative trade route linking the mineral hubs of the DRC and Zambia to international markets, facilitating the seamless movement of goods and people while boosting regional integration. The tripartite agreement was initially signed in March 2010 by the member states of the DRC, Namibia, and Zambia. The DRC ratified the agreement in 2015, Namibia followed in 2021, and Zambia has now completed the ratification process.Museba Frank Tayali, Zambia’s minister of transport and logistics, highlighted that this ratification would significantly enhance economic development among the member countries and beyond. He emphasised that the agreement would lead to improved infrastructure, increased private-sector participation, and overall regional development by promoting cross-border trade and investment.According to Mbahupu H Tjivikua, chief executive officer of the WBCG, the WBCG has been the host of the WBNLDC secretariat since inception and has effectively coordinated its activities in Namibia, working with both the public and private sectors in the member states. “These collective efforts have aimed to identify common resolutions for addressing various cross-border challenges affecting the corridor,” he said. “Furthermore, the agreement seeks to establish a competitive trade, transport and logistics sector that will ensure fair business practices among all the corridor operators, as well as stimulate socioeconomic development along the corridor, ultimately boosting intra-Africa trade.”He noted the importance of facilitating cross-border transit-transport cooperation, promoting efficient and cost-effective transit transport systems, and providing landlocked countries like Zambia and the DRC with access through Namibia to the Port of Walvis Bay.“The WBNLDC is a key corridor and trade route that will connect the Port of Walvis Bay with Ndola in the Copperbelt of Zambia and Lubumbashi in Katanga in the DRC,” he said, expressing appreciation to the Zambian government for its dedicated efforts and seamless coordination in expediting the ratification process.
