The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a $159.50 million loan to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to improve connectivity to the Ngandajika Agro-Industrial Park and help open up the country’s central region.
The total project cost is $177.16 million, with co-financing from the Congolese government.
The Project to Strengthen Connectivity at the Ngandajika Agro-Industrial Park is a strategic investment aimed at integrating the park more effectively into the main economic corridors of central DRC.
The project includes upgrades to the Nkuadi–Ngandajika–PAIN and Lukalaba–Ngandajika roads, as well as improvements to the connecting sections between National Roads 1 and 2 (RN1 and RN2). It also provides for the extension of the Mbuji-Mayi airport runway to support the growth of agro-industrial air freight.
“This project is a major milestone for Central Africa’s economic integration and for advancing agricultural industrialization in the DRC. By improving access to the Ngandajika agro-industrial park, we are doing more than upgrading a road. We are strengthening a critical value chain, opening new trade corridors, and creating powerful opportunities for competitiveness, jobs and economic inclusion - especially for women and young people. This initiative reflects our commitment to delivering transformative infrastructure that drives sustainable and sovereign economic development in the region,” said Léandre Bassolé, the African Development Bank’s Director General for Central Africa.
The project will directly benefit farmers, transporters and agro-industrial operators in Lomami province, the surrounding park area and Kasaï Oriental, by lowering logistics costs and improving access to markets. Women and young people - who play a key role in local agricultural and commercial activities - will gain new economic opportunities thanks to better infrastructure.
The initiative forms part of the Bank Group’s Agricultural Transformation Programme (PTA) and complements the Support Programme for the Development of the Ngandajika Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (PRODAN) (https://apo-opa.co/4oTvFSo). It also advances the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by enhancing trade and connectivity.
“This project will remove one of the main constraints limiting the competitiveness of the Ngandajika agro-industrial park: the lack of reliable transport infrastructure for supplying inputs and moving production,” said Johnny Makwela, the project task manager. “The new road links and improved air access will significantly reduce logistics costs and accelerate the integration of producers into agro-industrial value chains,” he added.
The project supports the development of agricultural value chains, strengthens food security and boosts the competitiveness of local production - contributing directly to the implementation of the Bank Group’s 2023–2028 Country Strategy Paper for the DRC.
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