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Deep dive · 37 countries

Africa's strategic corridors

Africa's strategic corridors come in rival pairs. The United States and the European Union back the Lobito Corridor to take Zambian and Congolese copper west to the Atlantic; a Chinese state company holds a 30-year concession to rebuild TAZARA and take the same copper east to Dar es Salaam. Morocco and Algeria each have a pipeline to bring Nigeria's gas north to Europe. Kenya's and Tanzania's new railways compete for the trade of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and eastern DR Congo, and Ethiopia's can leave by a Chinese-built railway to Djibouti, an Emirati-run port at Berbera or, one day, Kenya's Lamu.

China lends for, owns or builds pieces of 13 of the 19 corridors in this register, more than any other foreign power, and all 13 pieces it leads are in service or being built. American money is in one, Lobito; European money or ownership in six. Across 37 countries the register holds 84 pieces: 39 in service, 19 being built, 11 approved, 12 only announced and 3 stalled.

The newest pieces are mostly on paper. The railway from Lobito into Zambia has a development bank's loan but no builder; Uganda's standard gauge line has its loans approved but a contract its army chief called cancelled; the Abidjan–Lagos highway has a treaty, an authority and studies but no money to build; the Atlantic gas pipeline has its West African agreement but not its investment decision.

Register compiled 12 Oct 2026 · 19 corridors in 84 pieces · 98 funders, owners and builders · 188 sources, each linked

SudanLesothoNamibiaBurkina FasoCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaMadagascarEritreaEgyptLibyaSomalilandTanzaniaW. SaharaDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaChadSouth AfricaZimbabweBotswanaSenegalMaliMauritaniaBeninNigerNigeriaCameroonTogoGhanaCôte d'IvoireGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaSierra LeoneZambiaMalawiMozambiqueeSwatiniAngolaBurundiGambiaTunisiaAlgeriaMoroccoEthiopiaDjiboutiUgandaRwandaS. SudanNigeria–Morocco Gas: Moroccan section, Dakhla–Ouazzane (phase 1B)Abidjan–Lagos Highway: Côte d'Ivoire section (Abidjan–Noé)Abidjan–Lagos Highway: Ghana section (Elubo–Takoradi–Accra–Aflao)Abidjan–Lagos Highway: Togo and Benin sections (Lomé–Cotonou–Kraké)Trans-Saharan Highway: Mali branch: Tamanrasset–Kidal–GaoTrans-Saharan Gas: Niger section, with the link south to KanoCentral Corridor SGR: Isaka–Kigali (Rwanda link)Northern Corridor SGR: Kampala–Mirama Hills–Kigali extensionLAPSSET: LAPSSET railway (Lamu–Isiolo–Moyale/Nakodok)LAPSSET: Lokichar–Lamu crude oil pipelineBerbera Corridor: Ethiopian side, Togochale–Jigjiga–Dire Dawa–Addis AbabaDouala–N'Djamena: Ngaoundéré–N'Djamena railway extensionDakhla Atlantic–Sahel: Dakhla–Guerguerat–Nouadhibou–Nouakchott roadNigeria–Morocco Gas: Main line, Nigeria to MoroccoCentral Corridor SGR: Uvinza–Musongati–Gitega (Burundi link)Northern Corridor SGR: Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba SGR (Phases 2B and 2C)Northern Corridor SGR: Malaba–Kampala SGR (Uganda eastern route)Addis Ababa–Djibouti rail: Rail links to Doraleh Multipurpose Port and the HDTL oil terminalLobito Corridor: DR Congo railway, Dilolo to Kolwezi, Lubumbashi and SakaniaLobito Corridor: Zambia–Lobito railway, Luacano to Chingola (new line)North–South Corridor: Harare–Chirundu road (A1)Niger–Benin Oil Pipeline: Niamey–Dosso railway (Cotonou–Niamey line)Nacala Corridor: Chipata–Mchinji link to ZambiaDakhla Atlantic–Sahel: Smara–Amgala–Bir Moghrein road and border crossingAbidjan–Lagos Highway: Nigeria section: Lagos–Badagry–Seme expressway rebuildTrans-Saharan Highway: Niger: Assamaka–ArlitTrans-Saharan Highway: Chad branch: Zinder–Nguigmi–N'DjamenaTrans-Saharan Gas: Algerian section, Niger border–Aoulef (new build)Trans-Saharan Gas: Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) pipeline, NigeriaCentral Corridor SGR: Makutupora–Tabora–Isaka (Lots 3-4)Central Corridor SGR: Isaka–Mwanza (Lot 5)Central Corridor SGR: Tabora–Kigoma (Lot 6)EACOP: EACOP main pipeline, Kabaale (Hoima)–Chongoleani (Tanga)LAPSSET: Lamu–Garissa–Isiolo roadDouala–N'Djamena: Road Ngaoundéré–Touboro–Moundou–N'DjamenaDouala–N'Djamena: Road Ngaoundéré–Garoua (northern route)North–South Corridor: Beitbridge–Harare road (A4)North–South Corridor: Lusaka–Ndola dual carriagewayDakhla Atlantic–Sahel: Tiznit–Dakhla expresswayNigeria–Morocco Gas: West African Gas Pipeline (existing, Nigeria–Ghana)Simandou Trans-Guinean rail: Trans-Guinean main line, Morebaya–KérouanéSimandou Trans-Guinean rail: SimFer spur to Simandou blocks 3-4Abidjan–Lagos Highway: Abidjan–Grand-Bassam motorwayNiger–Benin Oil Pipeline: Pipeline, Agadem–SèmèTrans-Saharan Highway: Algeria: Algiers–Tamanrasset–In Guezzam (RN1)Trans-Saharan Highway: Niger: Arlit–Agadez–ZinderTrans-Saharan Highway: Nigeria: (Zinder)–Kano–Kaduna–Abuja–LagosCentral Corridor SGR: Dar es Salaam–Morogoro–Makutupora (Lots 1-2)Northern Corridor SGR: Mombasa–Nairobi SGR (Phase 1)Northern Corridor SGR: Nairobi–Naivasha SGR (Phase 2A)LAPSSET: Isiolo–Moyale road (Ethiopia link)LAPSSET: Lokichar–Lodwar–Nakodok road (South Sudan link)Addis Ababa–Djibouti rail: Ethiopian section, Sebeta–Adama–Mieso–Dire Dawa–DeweleAddis Ababa–Djibouti rail: Djibouti section, Dewele/Ali Sabieh–NagadBerbera Corridor: Berbera–Hargeisa–Wajaale road (Berbera Corridor road)Douala–N'Djamena: Camrail line Douala–Yaoundé–Bélabo–NgaoundéréLobito Corridor: Benguela Railway, Lobito to LuauMaputo Corridor: Ressano Garcia railway line (Maputo–Ressano Garcia)Maputo Corridor: Pretoria–Komatipoort railway (Transnet)Maputo Corridor: N4 Toll Route (Pretoria–Maputo)TAZARA: Dar es Salaam–New Kapiri Mposhi main lineNacala Corridor: Moatize–Nacala-a-Velha railway (via Malawi)Nacala Corridor: Malawi line Nkaya–Lilongwe–MchinjiLobito Corridor: Port of Lobito, container terminalNorth–South Corridor: Chirundu one-stop border post upgrade (Zimbabwe–Zambia)Niger–Benin Oil Pipeline: Benin–Niger land border (Malanville–Gaya)Dakhla Atlantic–Sahel: Dakhla Atlantic port (Ntirift)Simandou Trans-Guinean rail: SimFer transhipment-vessel port, MorebayaEACOP: Chongoleani marine storage terminal and jetty, TangaTAZARA: TAZARA training centre and operations control centre, Dar es SalaamSimandou Trans-Guinean rail: WCS barge port, MorebayaNiger–Benin Oil Pipeline: Sèmè-Kpodji offshore loading terminalLAPSSET: Lamu Port, berths 1-3Addis Ababa–Djibouti rail: Doraleh Multipurpose Port and Doraleh Container TerminalBerbera Corridor: Berbera port, new container terminalBerbera Corridor: Hargeisa bypassDouala–N'Djamena: Port of DoualaDouala–N'Djamena: Kribi deep-water portNorth–South Corridor: Beitbridge border post (Zimbabwe side)North–South Corridor: Kazungula Bridge and one-stop border post (Botswana–Zambia)Maputo Corridor: Port of Maputo (MPDC concession)Maputo Corridor: Lebombo / Ressano Garcia border postNacala Corridor: Nacala-a-Velha coal terminalNacala Corridor: Nacala general cargo and container portAtlanticIndian Ocean
The 19 corridors and the 37 countries they cross. Green is in service, magenta being built, blue approved and amber only announced, dashed until it is built; the map further down has the detail.
19
corridors across 37 African countries: 13 whose main line runs, 4 being built, 1 approved, 1 only announced, 0 stalled
39
pieces in service of the 84 in the register: ports, railways, roads and pipelines
19
pieces being built, against 11 approved and 12 only announced
13
corridors with China as a lender, owner or builder; 6 have money or ownership from the United States or Europe

The map

Each corridor is drawn piece by piece, coloured by how far each piece has got, or, at the switch, by who pays for it. Numbers match the list beside the map and the table below; hover a line, a port or a number for the detail, and a corridor lights up on its own.

StageAnnouncedApprovedUnder constructionOperatingStalled
PiecesRailwayRoad or bridgePipelinePortBorder post, power line or other
Cyprus Israel Palestine Lebanon Ethiopia South Sudan Somalia Kenya Malawi Tanzania Syria Somaliland France Morocco Western Sahara Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Namibia South Africa Oman United Arab Emirates Azerbaijan Turkey Spain Libya Tunisia Greece Zambia Sierra Leone Guinea Liberia Central African Republic Sudan Djibouti Eritrea Iraq Italy Iran Ivory Coast Mali Senegal Nigeria Benin Angola Qatar Saudi Arabia Botswana Zimbabwe Chad Kuwait Algeria Mozambique Eswatini Burundi Rwanda Uganda Portugal Jordan Lesotho Cameroon Gabon Niger Burkina Faso Togo Ghana Guinea-Bissau Egypt Yemen Mauritania Equatorial Guinea The Gambia Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus Bir Tawil Madagascar Seychelles Comoros São Tomé and Príncipe Malta Bahrain Albert Malawi Tanganyika Nyanza Mweru Kyoga Mai-Ndombe Kariba Nasser Volta Cahora Bassa Kossou Turkana Urmia Hammar ETHIOPIA S. SUDAN KENYA TANZANIA MOROCCO DEM. REP. CONGO NAMIBIA SOUTH AFRICA LIBYA TUNISIA ZAMBIA GUINEA SUDAN CÔTE D'IVOIRE MALI SENEGAL NIGERIA ANGOLA ZIMBABWE CHAD ALGERIA MOZAMBIQUE RWANDA UGANDA CAMEROON GABON NIGER BURKINA FASO GHANA EGYPT MAURITANIA MADAGASCAR Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Mediterranean Sea Gulf of Guinea Red Sea 12345678910111213141516171819 AlgiersHassi R'MelTamanrassetAgadezKanoNiameyLagosAbidjanDakhlaNouakchottMorebayaSimandouDoualaKribiNgaoundéréN'DjamenaAddis AbabaDjiboutiBerberaLamuMombasaNairobiKampalaKigaliHoimaTangaDar es SalaamMwanzaKigomaMoyaleLokicharLobitoKolweziKapiri MposhiLusakaHarareBeitbridgePretoriaMaputoNacalaMoatize
  1. North and West Africa
  2. 1Dakhla Atlantic–Sahel
  3. 2Nigeria–Morocco Gas
  4. 3Simandou Trans-Guinean rail
  5. 4Abidjan–Lagos Highway
  6. 5Niger–Benin Oil Pipeline
  7. 6Trans-Saharan Highway
  8. 7Trans-Saharan Gas
  9. East Africa and the Horn
  10. 8Central Corridor SGR
  11. 9EACOP
  12. 10Northern Corridor SGR
  13. 11LAPSSET
  14. 12Addis Ababa–Djibouti rail
  15. 13Berbera Corridor
  16. Central and Southern Africa
  17. 14Douala–N'Djamena
  18. 15Lobito Corridor
  19. 16North–South Corridor
  20. 17Maputo Corridor
  21. 18TAZARA
  22. 19Nacala Corridor

Pipelines are drawn from Global Energy Monitor's tracker and the Lobito Corridor's railway from OpenStreetMap; every other line is drawn through the towns it links, as published, not along a surveyed route. Borders, lakes and labels from Natural Earth. The map's colour is the piece's own stage; the list's dot is the corridor's.

Where each corridor stands

Every corridor of the register, by region and from west to east, with the latest that could be confirmed, its pieces and who is behind them. "Why it matters" says whose project it is and what it competes with; the tags say which published priority lists name it.

The 19 corridors of the register, by region. The number is the marker's on the map. The bar shows how far the corridor's main line has got: announced, approved, being built, in service; each piece has its own stage beneath. Backers are coloured by kind; a link after each goes to its source.
No.CorridorStage and piecesWho pays and who builds
North and West Africa
1Morocco's Atlantic Initiative for the Sahel and Dakhla Atlantic portMultimodal · Morocco, Western Sahara, MauritaniaAnnounced by King Mohammed VI in November 2023, the initiative offers Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad the use of Moroccan roads, ports and railways to reach the Atlantic, centred on a new deep-water port near Dakhla. Dakhla is in Western Sahara, a disputed territory that the UN lists as non-self-governing: Morocco controls most of it and calls it its southern provinces, while the Polisario Front seeks independence. The route south crosses it into Mauritania.Why it matters. Morocco's bid to become the Sahel juntas' outlet to the sea, as an alternative to the Gulf of Guinea ports they now use, and to win backing for its claim to Western Sahara (Mali endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan in July 2026 while reaffirming support for the initiative). The UAE signed a ports investment MoU in December 2023 that Morocco says covers Dakhla Atlantique, but no Emirati money for the port has been confirmed.Cost: USD 1.2 bn · Dakhla Atlantic port only, as reported by CNN. Morocco's Ministry of Equipment and Water figures cited by The North Africa Post put it at over USD 1 bn (MAD 12.5-13 bn); a 2021 estimate was nearly USD 1.4 bn. ↗The North Africa Post · Morocco World News · Hespress · Al JazeeraUnder construction2026-09Dakhla Atlantic port was 62% complete in June 2026 and is due for completion at end-2028, with operations from 2029. The Tiznit–Dakhla expressway has been fully open since January 2025, and on 21 September 2026 Morocco and Mauritania signed a framework agreement to rehabilitate and widen the 480 km Nouadhibou–Nouakchott road. We found no defined or financed route onward to Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger or Chad.
  • Dakhla Atlantic port (Ntirift) · under construction 62% complete in June 2026 (1.3 km sea bridge 85%, breakwaters 45%); built since 2021 by SGTM and Somagec for the Ministry of Equipment and Water, about 40 km north of Dakhla; land platforms and the first quay are due by end-2026 and the whole port by end-2028. moroccoworldnews.com
  • Tiznit–Dakhla expressway · operating · 1,055 km 1,055 km expressway (about USD 1 bn) via Guelmim, Tan-Tan and Laâyoune; the last stretch opened on 10 January 2025. Morocco named it after Donald Trump in July 2026. constructionreviewonline.com
  • Dakhla–Guerguerat–Nouadhibou–Nouakchott road · approved Framework agreement signed in Rabat on 21 September 2026 to rehabilitate and widen the 480 km Nouadhibou–Nouakchott road, called a key corridor of the Atlantic Initiative; cost and financing not disclosed. ecofinagency.com
  • Smara–Amgala–Bir Moghrein road and border crossing · under construction · 93 km 93 km road (MAD 49.72 m) to a second Morocco–Mauritania crossing at Amgala, 95% built and announced to open in October 2025; we found no confirmation that it has opened. fr.le360.ma
Government of Morocco · own budget ↗Built bySGTM · builder, 2021 ↗Somagec · builder, 2021 ↗
2African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline)Pipeline · Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco · 6,900 kmA planned 48-inch gas pipeline from Nigeria along the Atlantic coast to Morocco, with up to 30 bcm a year of capacity, about half for Morocco and export to Europe through the Maghreb-Europe pipeline and the rest for West African markets. It is to be built in independently financed sections, starting with a northern section bringing Senegal and Mauritania gas to Morocco; a project company in Morocco (ONHYM-NNPC joint venture) and a governing authority in Abuja are still to be set up.Why it matters. Morocco's rival to Algeria's Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline: both promise Nigerian gas to Europe. The Moroccan section runs through Western Sahara (Dakhla, Boujdour), whose status is disputed, and the UAE has said it will help fund the project.Cost: USD 25 bn · Whole-project estimate cited by ONHYM; one 2026 report gives about USD 27 bn. ↗MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power · CNBC Africa (Reuters) · Maghreb Online · Maroc.ma (Government of Morocco)Approved2026-09ECOWAS heads of state signed the intergovernmental agreement in Freetown on 19 July 2026; Morocco and Mauritania are to sign separately later in 2026. Feasibility and FEED studies are complete, but no financing is committed and the final investment decision, targeted for Q4 2026, was still pending at end-September 2026; ONHYM expects construction from 2028 and first gas in 2031.
  • Main line, Nigeria to Morocco · approved · 6,900 km Intergovernmental agreement signed by ECOWAS states on 19 July 2026; FID targeted Q4 2026, first gas 2031. cnbcafrica.com
  • Moroccan section, Dakhla–Ouazzane (phase 1B) · announced · 2,220 km Environmental study published July 2026: 2,220 km with four compressor stations (Boujdour, Tan-Tan, Agadir, Safi) and a link to the Maghreb-Europe pipeline in Ouazzane province; construction (about 2.5 years) to start after the FID. A 2025 plan to start works on a first Nador–Dakhla portion that summer did not materialise. kapitalis.com
  • West African Gas Pipeline (existing, Nigeria–Ghana) · operating Existing line from Nigeria to Ghana; reported plans for the first phase would extend it west to San Pédro in Côte d'Ivoire (sources differ on phase numbering). afrique.le360.ma
Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) · owner, 2026 ↗Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) · owner, 2026 ↗OPEC Fund · lender, USD 14 m, 2021 ↗Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) · lender ↗United Arab Emirates · lender ↗
3Simandou Trans-Guinean Railway and Morebaya portsRailway · Guinea · 536 kmA heavy-haul railway across Guinea from the Simandou iron ore range in the south-east (WCS blocks 1-2 near Kérouané, Rio Tinto SimFer blocks 3-4 in Beyla prefecture) to two new export ports at Morebaya in Forécariah prefecture. It is built to carry up to 120 Mt a year of iron ore and is meant to add passenger and general freight trains.Why it matters. Opens one of the world's largest high-grade iron ore deposits, with the ore going mainly to China; Chinese state and private firms (Baowu, Chinalco, Winning, Weiqiao) hold most of the project alongside Rio Tinto. Guinea's state holds 15% of the rail and port company and takes full ownership after 35 years of operation.Cost: USD 6.5 bn · SimFer's funding of the rail and port infrastructure only: USD 3.5 bn for its own 70 km spur and transhipment port plus USD 3.0 bn toward the WCS-built main line, WCS spur and barge port (SimFer funds 34% of the WCS scope during construction). WCS's own spending is not published. SimFer's whole project, mine included, is USD 11.6 bn. ↗Rio Tinto · Rio Tinto (RNS) · Rio Tinto Q2 2026 production results (SEC filing) · Ecofin AgencyOperating2026-09First ore left Morebaya in December 2025 after a start-of-operations ceremony on 11 November 2025. Rio Tinto says full rail commissioning was reached in Q1 2026, 2.2 Mt was shipped to China in H1 2026 (2026 guidance 5-10 Mt) and its own port was 85% complete in July 2026. The line carries only iron ore so far: it is designed as multi-user, and the operator CTG began building 10 passenger and freight stations in April 2026 for service by end-2026.
  • Trans-Guinean main line, Morebaya–Kérouané · operating · 536 km 536 km dual-track line built by WCS, with tunnels in Kindia (11.8 km) and Mamou (8.95 km) prefectures; full rail commissioning achieved in Q1 2026. Owned and operated by the Compagnie du TransGuinéen (CTG). sec.gov
  • SimFer spur to Simandou blocks 3-4 · operating · 70 km About 70 km spur (72 km per Guinéenews) built by China Railway Construction Corporation; main structure finished in September 2025, and SimFer ore is now railed along it to the main line. guineenews.org
  • WCS barge port, Morebaya · operating 60 Mt/yr barge port; the first shipment left in December 2025, and SimFer ore is shipped through it until SimFer's own port is finished. riotinto.com
  • SimFer transhipment-vessel port, Morebaya · under construction 60 Mt/yr transhipment-vessel port, 85% complete in July 2026, with commissioning of key infrastructure targeted through 2026. sec.gov
Rio Tinto SimFer · equity, USD 6.2 bn, 2024 ↗China Baowu Steel Group · equity ↗Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) · equity, USD 985 m, 2024 ↗Government of Guinea · equity ↗Built byWinning Consortium Simandou (WCS) · builder ↗China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) · builder, 2025 ↗Wabtec · builder, USD 700 m, 2026 ↗
4Abidjan–Lagos Corridor HighwayRoad · Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria · 1,028 kmA planned six-lane coastal highway of about 1,028 km from Abidjan through Accra, Lomé and Cotonou to Lagos, with eight border posts. It would upgrade West Africa's busiest trade route, which carries more than 50 million tonnes of freight a year and where trucks can take up to 17 days end to end.Why it matters. An ECOWAS project with the AfDB as lead arranger and EU grants behind its studies, and the first of the EU's Global Gateway strategic corridors in Africa. It links the coastal economies and the ports that serve landlocked Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger; China built the first finished piece, the Abidjan–Grand-Bassam motorway.Cost: USD 15.6 bn · Construction cost in the PIDA PAP2 prospectus; the same figure was announced as investment interest at the 2022 Africa Investment Forum. The PIDA PAP2 project page lists capex of USD 7 bn and 2026 ECOWAS coverage cites about USD 15 bn. ↗EU Global Gateway · corridor 1AU PIDA PAP2Ecofin Agency · African Development Bank · AU PIDA · AU PIDA PAP2Announced2026-06The board of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA) held its first meeting in Lagos in June 2026, named a chair and admitted the AfDB as a non-voting member and lead arranger; the AfDB is discussing USD 500 m of catalytic capital. Feasibility and structuring work was 'near completion' in February 2026; no construction financing or works contract has been reported, and PIDA schedules the first construction phase for 2027-2030.
  • Abidjan–Grand-Bassam motorway · operating Six-lane motorway opened to traffic in September 2015; the PIDA PAP2 prospectus counts it as the first built part of the corridor. china.aiddata.org
  • Côte d'Ivoire section (Abidjan–Noé) · announced · 144 km Design studies only; no works contract reported as of June 2026. constructafrica.com
  • Ghana section (Elubo–Takoradi–Accra–Aflao) · announced · 520 km Design studies only; no works contract reported as of June 2026. constructafrica.com
  • Togo and Benin sections (Lomé–Cotonou–Kraké) · announced · 217 km Design studies only (Togo 90 km, Benin 127 km); no works contract reported as of June 2026. constructafrica.com
  • Nigeria section: Lagos–Badagry–Seme expressway rebuild · under construction · 46 km The federal government is rebuilding Agbara–Badagry (24.3 km) and Badagry–Seme (21.8 km) as a six-lane road, described as part of the ECOWAS Lagos–Abidjan corridor; the first section was due in April 2025 and the stretch was listed for commissioning on 31 May 2025. No later update was found. thisdaylive.com
African Development Bank (AfDB) · lender, USD 25 m ↗European Union · grant, EUR 9 m, 2019 ↗European Union · grant, EUR 45 m, 2026 ↗China Exim Bank · lender, USD 115 m, 2011 ↗Federal Government of Nigeria · own budget, NGN 71 bn, 2018 ↗Built byChina Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) · builder, 2015 ↗
5Niger–Benin Oil Pipeline (Agadem–Sèmè) and the Cotonou–Niamey corridorPipeline · Niger, Benin · 1,980 kmA crude oil pipeline built by CNPC from the Agadem oilfields in eastern Niger to an offshore loading terminal about 15 km off Sèmè-Kpodji, east of Cotonou, designed for about 90,000-110,000 barrels a day. It is landlocked Niger's export outlet for crude; the parallel Cotonou–Niamey railway, begun by Bolloré, stopped after a 140 km Niamey–Dosso stretch that has never carried traffic.Why it matters. China's main asset in the Sahel: CNPC built, financed and runs the line through its subsidiary WAPCO, and Niger's oil revenue depends on transit through Benin, a neighbour it fell out with after the July 2023 coup. The route matches the EU's Global Gateway Cotonou–Niamey corridor.Cost: USD 1.3 bn · Niger section only (1,293 km), financed 80:20 debt to equity; no sourced figure for the whole line. ↗EU Global Gateway · corridor 4AU PIDA PAP2AidData · Ecofin Agency · South China Morning Post · Rigzone (Bloomberg)Operating2026-08Exporting through the Sèmè offshore terminal since 2024, after a May-August 2024 halt over the Benin-Niger border dispute and a June 2024 rebel attack. On 18 May 2026 Niger and CNPC agreed to cut the transport tariff from USD 27 to 15 a barrel and give Niger a 45% stake in operator WAPCO; in August 2026 Sonatrach and SONIDEP jointly sold a Nigerien cargo loaded at the Benin terminal. The land border, closed by Niger since 2023, was still under talks to reopen in June 2026.
  • Pipeline, Agadem–Sèmè · operating · 1,980 km Niger section completed November 2023; exports running since August 2024 after the 2024 halt; tariff cut agreed May 2026. ecofinagency.com
  • Sèmè-Kpodji offshore loading terminal · operating Loading crude for export; a Sonatrach-SONIDEP cargo was loaded there in August 2026. maghrebemergent.news
  • Benin–Niger land border (Malanville–Gaya) · stalled Closed by Niger since August 2023; Presidents Wadagni and Tiani agreed on 2 June 2026 to work toward reopening and an expert committee reported on 21 June 2026, with Niamey setting security preconditions. No reopening confirmed since. africanews.com
  • Niamey–Dosso railway (Cotonou–Niamey line) · stalled · 140 km About 140 km built by Bolloré and inaugurated in January 2016 but never used for traffic; Benin courts halted the Benin side after a challenge by Petrolin, and Bolloré gave up the rail loop in a July 2022 settlement with Benin and Niger. The track is now badly degraded. trtafrika.com
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) · owner, 2026 ↗CNPC Finance (HK) · lender, USD 1 bn, 2019 ↗China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) · lender, USD 400 m, 2024 ↗Government of Niger · equity, 2026 ↗Built byChina Petroleum Pipeline Engineering (CPP) · builder, 2019 ↗Bolloré · builder, 2013 ↗
6Trans-Saharan Highway (Algiers–Lagos)Road · Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mali, Chad · 4,498 kmA road network first proposed by UNECA in 1962, running from Algiers across the Sahara via Ghardaïa, In Salah, Tamanrasset, Arlit and Agadez to Kano and Lagos, with branches to Tunisia, to Mali and to N'Djamena. A trans-Saharan fibre-optic backbone is being laid along it: Niger finished its 1,031 km in November 2025 and the Algeria–Niger link was launched at Assamaka in October 2026.Why it matters. Algeria's road to the Sahel: it gives Niger, Mali and Chad access to Algerian ports and the Mediterranean, and Algiers now also builds road sections in Chad. No permanent body has the powers to coordinate it (UNCTAD wants the liaison committee, CLRT, turned into one), and its member states sit in different regional blocs.AU PIDA PAP2AU PIDA PAP2Ecofin Agency · Algérie Eco · Radio Algérienne · Ecofin AgencyOperating2026-07At its 77th session in Algiers on 8-9 June 2026 the Trans-Saharan Road Liaison Committee (CLRT) said the network is over 90% built and the Algiers–Lagos axis almost complete; the last unpaved stretch of the main axis, PK0–Assamaka on the Niger side of the Algerian border, was in works for completion in 2026. About 400 km remain on the Mali branch and two sections (97 and 85 km) in Chad; in July 2026 EBID approved USD 260 m for a 123 km section in Nigeria.
  • Algeria: Algiers–Tamanrasset–In Guezzam (RN1) · operating · 2,400 km Paved to In Guezzam on the Niger border; maintenance and modernisation of 727 km in the far south under way (June 2026). PIDA lists the Ghardaïa–Tamanrasset modernisation (USD 500 m) at structuring stage. algerie-eco.com
  • Niger: Assamaka–Arlit · under construction · 225 km Arlit–PK125 finished and the second lot in its final phase at 85% overall (August 2025, end-2025 target); in June 2026 the CLRT said the PK0–Assamaka stretch was well advanced and due in 2026. journalduniger.com
  • Niger: Arlit–Agadez–Zinder · operating Paved; the CLRT said in June 2026 that Niger's stretch between the Algerian and Nigerian borders is broadly finished apart from PK0–Assamaka. algerie-eco.com
  • Nigeria: (Zinder)–Kano–Kaduna–Abuja–Lagos · operating Paved throughout. The Abuja–Kaduna–Kano dual carriageway is being rebuilt in concrete: first 118 km section finished June 2026, last 164 km due November 2026. EBID approved USD 260 m for a 123 km Trans-Saharan section in Nigeria on 6 July 2026. channelstv.com
  • Mali branch: Tamanrasset–Kidal–Gao · announced The biggest gap in the network; the CLRT said in June 2026 that about 400 km remain on the axis toward Bamako and that it is helping Mali look for financing. algerie-eco.com
  • Chad branch: Zinder–Nguigmi–N'Djamena · under construction Long delays on contracts in Chad; Algerian contractors were to start two remaining sections of 97 km and 85 km in June 2026. The World Bank's Chad Connectivity and Integration Project (USD 170 m, 2025) aims to finish Chad's section. algerie-eco.com
Government of Algeria · own budget, 2026 ↗African Development Bank (AfDB) · lender, USD 185 m, 2013 ↗African Development Fund (AfDB Group) · lender, EUR 43 m, 2025 ↗ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) · lender, USD 260 m, 2026 ↗BADEA · lender ↗Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) · lender ↗OPEC Fund · lender, USD 10 m, 2021 ↗World Bank · grant, USD 170 m, 2025 ↗
7Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (Nigeria–Niger–Algeria, NIGAL)Pipeline · Nigeria, Niger, Algeria · 4,128 kmA planned 30 bcm/yr gas pipeline from Warri in Nigeria's Niger Delta through Niger to Algeria's Hassi R'Mel hub, where gas would join Algeria's network and its export pipelines to Europe. Nigeria's 614 km Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) line, phase one of the Trans-Nigeria Gas Pipeline, is the first step on the Nigerian side.Why it matters. Algeria's rival to the Morocco-backed Atlantic pipeline for Nigerian gas to Europe; it moved after Algiers and Niger's military government repaired relations in 2026. Algeria is building its own section and has said Sonatrach will also finance and build the Niger section.Cost: USD 13 bn · Whole-pipeline estimate cited in 2026; other estimates run from USD 10 bn. ↗Al-Monitor · Enerdata · Maghreb Emergent · Offshore TechnologyUnder construction2026-09Sonatrach began welding the new 1,210 km Algerian section at Aoulef (Adrar) on 4 June 2026, the day after the three partners adopted an updated feasibility study. Niger said topographic surveys of its 841 km section would start in early October 2026, with works in early 2027 with Sonatrach; the Nigerian section has no date and no final investment decision or financing for the whole line has been announced.
  • Algerian section, Niger border–Aoulef (new build) · under construction · 1,210 km First welds made at Aoulef on 4 June 2026; the new line follows the Trans-Saharan Road corridor from the Niger border and ties into the existing network toward Hassi R'Mel. al-monitor.com
  • Niger section, with the link south to Kano · announced · 841 km Topographic surveys announced for early October 2026, works for early 2027. Algeria's president said Sonatrach will finance and build it; Niger-side reporting in September 2026 said financing was not yet published. maghrebemergent.news
  • Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) pipeline, Nigeria · under construction · 614 km NNPC's July 2026 report (published September) put AKK at 95%, with early gas to Abuja targeted in 2026; main-line welding and the River Niger crossing were finished by December 2025. Earlier targets (2022, Q1 2025, Q1 2026) were missed. parrotnigeria.com
Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) · owner ↗SONIDEP · owner, 2026 ↗Bank of China and ICBC · lender, USD 2.5 bn, 2020 ↗Built bySonatrach · builder, 2026 ↗Oilserv · builder ↗China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering (CPP) · builder ↗
East Africa and the Horn
8Central Corridor Standard Gauge Railway (Dar es Salaam–Mwanza/Kigoma, with Burundi and Rwanda links)Railway · Tanzania, Burundi, RwandaAn electrified standard gauge railway from the port of Dar es Salaam via Morogoro, Dodoma and Tabora to Mwanza on Lake Victoria, with a branch from Tabora to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika and links planned to Musongati and Gitega in Burundi and to Kigali in Rwanda. It runs alongside the old metre-gauge Central Line, for freight and passengers.Why it matters. Tanzania's bid to win the transit trade of Rwanda, Burundi and eastern DRC from Kenya's Northern Corridor. Turkey's Yapı Merkezi builds the trunk with European export credit agencies (Sweden, Italy, Poland) and Standard Chartered, while Chinese state firms build the Mwanza, Kigoma and Burundi lots; the Burundi branch targets Musongati's nickel.Cost: USD 7.5 bn · PIDA investment prospectus figure for the whole Central Corridor SGR network (Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC links); press reports in 2026 cite about USD 10 bn for Tanzania's SGR. ↗AU PIDA PAP2AUDA-NEPAD (PIDA PAP2 prospectus) · Standard Chartered · The Citizen (Tanzania) · Railway Gazette InternationalOperating2026-09Dar es Salaam–Dodoma–Makutupora has carried passengers since mid-2024 and freight since June 2025. Lots 3-5 to Mwanza are under construction after Standard Chartered arranged a USD 2.33 bn package (Apr 2026), and President Samia laid the Tabora–Kigoma foundation stone on 20 Jul 2026; in Sept 2026 the Burundi link was still awaiting AfDB financing and the Rwanda link has none.
  • Dar es Salaam–Morogoro–Makutupora (Lots 1-2) · operating · 722 km Electric passenger trains since mid-2024 (5.5 m passengers by March 2026); freight services started 27 Jun 2025. thecitizen.co.tz
  • Makutupora–Tabora–Isaka (Lots 3-4) · under construction Built by Yapı Merkezi; USD 1.32 bn of export credit agency loans (signed 2025-26) plus USD 462 m of commercial and DFI loans (2023) confirmed in Standard Chartered's Apr 2026 package. sc.com
  • Isaka–Mwanza (Lot 5) · under construction · 249 km CCECC and CRCC building 249 km of main line plus 92 km of loops; about 68% complete in early 2026 (Apr 2026 report). constructionreviewonline.com
  • Tabora–Kigoma (Lot 6) · under construction President Samia laid the foundation stone on 20 Jul 2026; the government says works are over 10% done, cost TZS 7.5 trillion and finish in 2030. thecitizen.co.tz
  • Uvinza–Musongati–Gitega (Burundi link) · approved · 240 km Contract signed Jan 2025 and foundation stone laid 16 Aug 2025, but in Sept 2026 the Burundian side was still in preparatory works, awaiting AfDB authorisation of the next financing. Musongati–Gitega (34 km) is a later extension. andikamagazine.net
  • Isaka–Kigali (Rwanda link) · announced Feasibility studies done but no financing closed and no construction as of Apr 2026; estimated about USD 1.8 bn for the Tanzanian and Rwandan sections. uchumi360.com
Standard Chartered · lender, USD 2.3 bn, 2026 ↗EKN and SEK (Sweden) · guarantor, 2026 ↗SACE (Italy) · guarantor, 2026 ↗Sinosure · guarantor, USD 559 m, 2025 ↗African Development Bank (AfDB) · lender, USD 696 m, 2023 ↗Built byYapı Merkezi · builder ↗CCECC and CRCC joint venture · builder, USD 2.2 bn, 2022 ↗China Railway Engineering Group (CREC) · builder, USD 2.1 bn, 2025 ↗
9East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP)Pipeline · Uganda, Tanzania · 1,443 kmA buried, heated 24-inch crude oil pipeline from the Lake Albert oil fields (Tilenga and Kingfisher) in western Uganda to a marine storage terminal and jetty at Chongoleani near Tanga, Tanzania. Capacity is up to 246,000 barrels a day.Why it matters. EACOP is landlocked Uganda's export route for its first oil, chosen over a route through Kenya to Lamu. Western banks and insurers have refused to fund it under climate pressure, so debt has come from African and Islamic lenders, Chinese lenders have been reported but not confirmed, and TotalEnergies and CNOOC carry most of the cost.Cost: USD 5 bn · Project cost as reported in March 2025; BankTrack cites USD 5.6 bn as of July 2025. Owners provide about USD 2 bn of equity, with USD 2.4-3 bn of debt initially sought. ↗EACOP Ltd · Energy News Network · The Independent (Uganda) via AllAfrica · BankTrackUnder construction2026-10UNOC put the pipeline at over 90% complete in Sept 2026, with 1,414 of 1,443 km laid and buried. On 11 Oct 2026 Ugandan officials said it will be ready to take crude by mid-December 2026, but first commercial oil slipped to before end-June 2027, blamed on delayed equipment shipments from the Middle East.
  • EACOP main pipeline, Kabaale (Hoima)–Chongoleani (Tanga) · under construction · 1,443 km Over 90% complete (UNOC, Sept 2026); ready to receive crude by mid-December 2026, first commercial oil now before end-June 2027 (Oct 2026). energy-news-network.com
  • Chongoleani marine storage terminal and jetty, Tanga · under construction Jetty 88.1% complete in April 2026; marine loading arms installed. tanzaniainvest.com
TotalEnergies · equity ↗CNOOC · equity ↗Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) · equity ↗Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) · equity ↗Afreximbank · lender, USD 755 m, 2025 ↗Standard Bank · lender, 2025 ↗Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) · lender, 2025 ↗Built byChina Petroleum Pipeline Engineering (CPP) · builder ↗
10Northern Corridor Standard Gauge Railway (Mombasa–Nairobi–Malaba–Kampala–Kigali)Railway · Kenya, Uganda, RwandaA standard gauge railway from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi and Naivasha, built by China and in service, meant to continue via Kisumu to Malaba on the Uganda border, then to Kampala and on to Rwanda. It carries containers and passengers alongside the colonial-era metre-gauge line on East Africa's busiest trade route.Why it matters. Kenya's line is China's flagship Belt and Road railway in East Africa: China Exim lent about USD 4.9 bn for Mombasa–Naivasha, then declined to fund the next leg, and Kenya converted those loans to yuan in Oct 2025. Uganda dropped its Chinese contractor for Turkey's Yapı Merkezi with Islamic, African and European export credit money, and the EU lists the route as a Global Gateway corridor.Cost: USD 19.2 bn · PIDA PAP2 cost estimate for the Mombasa–Nairobi–Malaba–Kampala–Kigali line with the Malaba–Nimule–Juba branch. ↗AU PIDA PAP2EU Global Gateway · corridor 8AUDA-NEPAD (PIDA PAP2 prospectus) · Capital FM · The EastAfrican via Zawya · Kenyans.co.keOperating2026-09Mombasa–Naivasha has run since 2017/2019 and made its first operating profit in FY2025/26 (reported Sept 2026). Kenya declared works on Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba started on 1 Jul 2026 (CCCC/CRBC), but in Aug 2026 they were still at land acquisition and only KSh 30 bn of the KSh 502.9 bn needed is committed; Uganda's Malaba–Kampala line won IsDB approval in Jun 2026 and targets financial close in Nov 2026.
  • Mombasa–Nairobi SGR (Phase 1) · operating · 472 km Opened 31 May 2017. With the Naivasha leg it hauled a record 8.2 m tonnes in FY2025/26 and posted a KSh 3.2 bn operating profit, its first (Sept 2026). businessdailyafrica.com
  • Nairobi–Naivasha SGR (Phase 2A) · operating · 120 km Opened 16 Oct 2019, ending at the Naivasha inland container depot near Mai Mahiu. china.aiddata.org
  • Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba SGR (Phases 2B and 2C) · approved Contract awarded to CCCC/CRBC; ground broken at Suswa on 19 Mar 2026 and Kenya Railways says works began 1 Jul 2026, but in Aug 2026 they were still at land survey and acquisition stage, with major civil works to follow. About 264 km to Kisumu (plus a port branch) and about 107 km on to Malaba. kenyans.co.ke
  • Malaba–Kampala SGR (Uganda eastern route) · approved · 272 km Yapı Merkezi EPC contract signed Oct 2024; only preliminary works (camps, sleeper factories) under way while financing from Uganda's own funds, Citibank-arranged export credit and multilateral loans is closed. On 16 Jun 2026 army chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba said the contract was cancelled; the Works ministry had not confirmed it. monitor.co.ug
  • Kampala–Mirama Hills–Kigali extension · announced Uganda's western line (Kampala–Bihanga–Kasese–Mpondwe, DRC border) and south-western line (Bihanga–Mirama Hills, Rwanda border) have no contract or financing; the newest detail found dates from Oct 2024. monitor.co.ug
China Exim Bank · lender, USD 3.5 bn, 2014 ↗China Exim Bank · lender, USD 1.4 bn, 2015 ↗Government of Kenya · own budget, KES 30 bn, 2026 ↗Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) · lender, EUR 651 m, 2026 ↗African Development Bank (AfDB) · lender, USD 650 m, 2026 ↗Built byChina Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) · builder, USD 3.8 bn, 2012 ↗China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) · builder, KES 700 bn, 2026 ↗Yapı Merkezi · builder, EUR 2.7 bn, 2024 ↗
11Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET)Multimodal · Kenya, Ethiopia, South SudanA Kenyan-led corridor from a new deep-water port at Lamu through Garissa to Isiolo, branching north to Moyale on the Ethiopian border and north-west through Turkana to Nakodok on the South Sudan border. It bundles a port, highways, a planned standard gauge railway and a planned crude oil pipeline, with airports, resort cities and a refinery site at Lamu.Why it matters. Kenya pitches LAPSSET as an additional route to the sea for Ethiopia, which relies on Djibouti, and as an export outlet for South Sudan, which ships its oil through Sudan. Its oil case weakened when Uganda chose the Tanzanian EACOP route; China's CCCC built the port and the Lamu–Garissa road, both paid for from Kenya's own budget.Cost: USD 22 bn · Approximate cost of the whole programme (port, roads, railway, pipelines, refinery, power plant, airports) as reported by Reuters in Aug 2023. Older estimates differ and there is no current official total. ↗AU PIDA PAP2LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority · Reuters via Engineering News · Fana Media Corporation · Parliament of KenyaUnder construction2026-10Lamu's three berths are in service and on 3 Oct 2026 handled the port's largest single-vessel discharge (about 5,200 TEUs). The Garissa–Isiolo road was 64% built in April 2026 and the railway is still at feasibility stage. On 1 Oct 2026 President Ruto said Dangote had agreed to help build a Turkana–Lamu crude pipeline; Kenya's February 2026 oil plan relied on trucks and rail instead.
  • Lamu Port, berths 1-3 · operating Phase I berths (17.5 m deep) in service; on 3 Oct 2026 the Kenya Ports Authority began its largest single-vessel discharge, about 5,200 TEUs from the 14,500-TEU MV Hamouna. chimpreports.com
  • Lamu–Garissa–Isiolo road · under construction · 530 km CCCC holds the KSh 17.9 bn Lamu–Ijara–Garissa contract (2021, due 2023, behind schedule). The roads ministry put the 160 km Garissa–Isiolo section at 64.26% complete in April 2026. kenyans.co.ke
  • Isiolo–Moyale road (Ethiopia link) · operating Upgraded to bitumen in three sections (Merille–Marsabit–Turbi–Moyale) and commissioned by President Kenyatta in July 2017. thecitizen.co.tz
  • Lokichar–Lodwar–Nakodok road (South Sudan link) · operating Lokichar–Lodwar–Nadapal highway built under the World Bank-funded Eastern Africa transport facilitation project; Turkana County was taking over the works in May 2025. The last 11 km Nadapal–Nakodok link was reported stalled in April 2026; the Isiolo–Lokichar link was still being realigned at last report. turkana.go.ke
  • LAPSSET railway (Lamu–Isiolo–Moyale/Nakodok) · announced PIDA PAP2 lists the Kenyan segment at feasibility stage, Ethiopia at pre-feasibility and South Sudan at needs assessment, cost USD 12 bn. Kenya had aimed to start in 2025; no financing or contract is known as of Oct 2026. au-pida.org
  • Lokichar–Lamu crude oil pipeline · announced In Feb 2026 the government told Parliament the pipeline is a long-term component not ready for first Turkana oil, which will move by truck and later rail. On 1 Oct 2026 Ruto said Kenya and Dangote agreed to invest in a Turkana–Lamu pipeline; no agreement has been published. The South Sudan–Lokichar segment has no feasibility study. kbc.co.ke
Government of Kenya · own budget ↗African Development Bank (AfDB) · lender ↗China Exim Bank · lender ↗World Bank · lender, USD 500 m ↗Dangote Group · equity, 2026 ↗Built byChina Communications Construction Company (CCCC) · builder, USD 479 m, 2014 ↗China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) · builder, KES 17.9 bn, 2021 ↗
12Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway and the Doraleh port complexRailway · Ethiopia, Djibouti · 753 kmA 752.7 km electrified standard-gauge railway from Sebeta, on the edge of Addis Ababa, to Nagad near the Doraleh port complex in Djibouti, built by CREC and CCECC with China Exim Bank loans. It carries freight and passengers between landlocked Ethiopia and Djibouti, whose ports handle about 90% of Ethiopia's trade.Why it matters. China's flagship Belt and Road railway in Africa. Both borrowers fell behind on repayments and their loans were rescheduled (Ethiopia 2018, Djibouti 2019-2020); Ethiopia's China debt is now being treated under the G20 Common Framework. Ethiopia's dependence on this one route to Djibouti drives Abiy Ahmed's push for a Red Sea outlet of its own, which he restated when sworn in for a new term on 5 October 2026.Cost: USD 3 bn · China Exim Bank buyer's credits only, both signed in May 2013: USD 2.49 bn to Ethiopia (three tranches covering about 70% of the Ethiopian EPC contracts and rolling stock) and USD 491.8 m to Djibouti for its 100 km section. A total build cost of about USD 4 bn is often quoted, but we found no primary source for it. ↗EU Global Gateway · corridor 7China Belt and RoadAidData · China Railway Engineering Corporation · Capital Ethiopia · Ethio-Djibouti Railway S.C.Operating2026-07In commercial service since January 2018 and run since May 2024 by the bi-national Ethio-Djibouti Railway (EDR) after the Chinese builders handed over. In February 2026 the two governments agreed to rail-link the Doraleh Multipurpose Port and the HDTL oil terminal by November 2026, and EDR said in July 2026 that the line now carries 50% of Ethiopia's exports and 24% of its imports. Ethiopia announced a debt-treatment resolution with China in April 2026.
  • Ethiopian section, Sebeta–Adama–Mieso–Dire Dawa–Dewele · operating CREC built Sebeta–Adama–Mieso and CCECC built Mieso–Dewele; commercial operation began 1 January 2018. EDR had 1,100 wagons and 35 electric locomotives in January 2026 and plans to double both by end-2026. china.aiddata.org
  • Djibouti section, Dewele/Ali Sabieh–Nagad · operating · 100 km About 100 km, financed by a USD 491.8 m China Exim loan to Djibouti (2013); its grace period and maturity were extended under a 2019 MoU and a restructuring signed in September 2020. china.aiddata.org
  • Doraleh Multipurpose Port and Doraleh Container Terminal · operating The Doraleh Multipurpose Port opened in May 2017 and is owned by Port de Djibouti SA (23.5% China Merchants Port Holdings). Djibouti seized the neighbouring Doraleh Container Terminal from DP World in February 2018; the legal fight is unresolved, with awards for DP World and an LCIA ruling against its damages claim reported in September 2025. thepeoplesmap.net
  • Rail links to Doraleh Multipurpose Port and the HDTL oil terminal · approved Agreed by the Ethio-Djibouti Joint Railway Commission on 17 February 2026 with a November 2026 target. Only the SGTD container terminal is rail-linked today; DMP is reached by a 1.9 km truck shuttle. EDR is to build the ~3 km HDTL link; a 17 km line to Damerjog liquid bulk port is also planned (USD 90 m study estimate). capitalethiopia.com
China Exim Bank · lender, USD 2.5 bn, 2013 ↗China Exim Bank · lender, USD 492 m, 2013 ↗Government of Ethiopia · own budget ↗Ethio-Djibouti Railway S.C. (EDR) · owner, 2017 ↗China Merchants Port Holdings · equity, 2012 ↗Built byChina Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) · builder ↗China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) · builder ↗China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) · builder, USD 590 m, 2017 ↗
13Berbera Corridor (Berbera port–Hargeisa–Wajaale/Togochale–Ethiopia)Multimodal · Somalia, EthiopiaA port-and-road corridor from DP World's Berbera port on the Gulf of Aden through Hargeisa to the Ethiopian border at Wajaale/Togochale, meant to give Ethiopia a second sea outlet besides Djibouti. Berbera lies in Somaliland, a self-declared state that Somalia considers part of its territory and that only Israel recognises (since 26 December 2025); it is coded here as Somalia (SO).Why it matters. A UAE port play (DP World, with UK development money) that competes with Djibouti for Ethiopian transit trade. It sits at the centre of Horn of Africa rivalries: Ethiopia's January 2024 MoU offered Somaliland recognition in exchange for coastal access, Turkey's Ankara Declaration of December 2024 returned Ethiopia to talks with Somalia on sea access under Somali sovereignty, and Israel's recognition of Somaliland has raised the stakes.Cost: USD 442 m · DP World's commitment of up to USD 442 m to develop and expand Berbera port under its 2016 concession; excludes the road upgrades paid by the UAE (ADFD) and the UK. ↗EU Global Gateway · corridor 7DP World · Somalia Today (citing Middle East Eye) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye (Ankara Declaration) · Atlantic CouncilOperating2026-09The port's new 500,000 TEU terminal has run since June 2021, but a DP World official said in September 2026 that Berbera works at about 30% of capacity because the expected Ethiopian cargo has not come. Ethiopia's January 2024 MoU with Somaliland has not been implemented, and on 12 January 2026 Somalia's federal government annulled its agreements with the UAE, including on Berbera; Somaliland rejected the move.
  • Berbera port, new container terminal · operating Phase 1 opened in June 2021: 400 m quay, 17 m draft, capacity raised from 150,000 to 500,000 TEU a year. A phase 2 quay extension to 1,000 m and 2 m TEU was announced as under way in 2021 but is still described as planned in 2026; the port ran at about 30% of capacity in September 2026. dpworld.com
  • Berbera–Hargeisa–Wajaale road (Berbera Corridor road) · operating · 234 km Upgrade of the 234 km road began in 2019, funded by the UAE and the UK; it was 85% complete in December 2021 with completion planned for end-2022. The first bridge opened in March 2022. We found no dated confirmation that the last section to Wajaale was finished. thereporterethiopia.com
  • Hargeisa bypass · operating · 22 km 22.5 km two-lane bypass that takes corridor trucks around Hargeisa; completed in 2023 with UK funding through TradeMark Africa. trademarkafrica.com
  • Ethiopian side, Togochale–Jigjiga–Dire Dawa–Addis Ababa · announced DP World and Ethiopia's transport ministry signed an MoU in May 2021 to develop the Ethiopian side, with up to USD 1 bn of logistics investment envisaged over 10 years. We found no works under it; the roads exist, but Ethiopian cargo via Berbera is still small (September 2026). dpworld.com
DP World · concession, USD 442 m, 2016 ↗Government of Somaliland · equity, 2016 ↗British International Investment (BII) · equity, 2022 ↗Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) · grant, AED 262 m, 2017 ↗UK government (DFID, now FCDO) · grant ↗
Central and Southern Africa
14Douala/Kribi–N'Djamena CorridorMultimodal · Cameroon, ChadThe main supply route of landlocked Chad: cargo lands at Douala (or the new deep-water port at Kribi), Camrail's metre-gauge line carries it via Yaoundé to the railhead at Ngaoundéré, and trucks cover the rest to N'Djamena, either south via Touboro and Moundou or north via Garoua, Maroua and Kousséri. A rail extension from Ngaoundéré to N'Djamena has been studied for years.Why it matters. Mostly Western and multilateral money (World Bank, EIB/EU, AFD, AfDB) under the EU's Global Gateway corridor 5, while China financed and built Kribi port and Chinese contractors build the roads. Gulf players are moving in: the UAE's Etihad Rail has MoUs with Chad (May 2025) and Cameroon to update the railway study and raise funds, and AD Ports took a Douala terminal concession in February 2026.Cost: USD 816 m · World Bank Cameroon-Chad Transport Corridor project (P167798), approved February 2022: Douala–Yaoundé rail rehabilitation and signalling (USD 368 m), road works mainly in Chad (USD 389 m), the Ngaoundéré rail/road platform and trade facilitation; USD 538 m of it is IDA money. Excludes the EIB/EU/AFD Bélabo–Ngaoundéré rail works, the AfDB Ngaoundéré–Garoua road and Kribi port. ↗EU Global Gateway · corridor 5World Bank (implementation report, May 2025) · Business in Cameroon · KOACI · CPCSOperating2026-09The rail-road route carries Chad's trade, but upgrades are slow: on 29 September 2026 Cameroon's transport minister told Camrail to speed up the World Bank-funded Douala–Yaoundé rail contracts (rail works expected 2027-2030), and no lot of the AfDB-funded Ngaoundéré–Garoua road was above 5% done in September 2026. The Ngaoundéré–N'Djamena railway is still unagreed: Cameroon picked a western route in June 2026, and Chad said no route had been validated.
  • Port of Douala · operating Cameroon's main port and Chad's usual gateway. In February 2026 AD Ports Group and two other UAE investors took 60% of a 30-year concession for a new 4 Mt/yr dry bulk terminal, to be built 2026-2028. adportsgroup.com
  • Kribi deep-water port · operating First container terminal opened in 2018; a second terminal with a 715 m quay was launched on 9 May 2025, lifting capacity above 1 m TEU a year. Built by China Harbour Engineering Company with China Exim loans; run by Kribi Conteneurs Terminal (AGL, CMA CGM, CHEC). businessincameroon.com
  • Camrail line Douala–Yaoundé–Bélabo–Ngaoundéré · operating In service under Camrail's concession. Renewal of 238 km Douala–Yaoundé (World Bank, XAF 152 bn) and 330 km Bélabo–Ngaoundéré (EIB, EU, AFD, XAF 167.3 bn) went to tender from late 2025; works are expected from H1 2027 to 2030. businessincameroon.com
  • Road Ngaoundéré–Touboro–Moundou–N'Djamena · under construction Rehabilitation of Chad's 596 km N'Djamena–Moundou–Koutéré road is the core of the World Bank/EIB/EU support; in May 2025 the World Bank reported work on the first 50 km and better traffic between N'Djamena and Moundou after maintenance. documents1.worldbank.org
  • Road Ngaoundéré–Garoua (northern route) · under construction · 246 km Reconstruction of 246 km, financed by an AfDB loan signed in March 2025 and split into five lots, all won by Chinese contractors. Works started in 2026, but no lot was above 5% physical progress at a 23 September 2026 review. notreafrik.com
  • Ngaoundéré–N'Djamena railway extension · announced An AfDB-funded feasibility study (CPCS/Zutari) was finished in 2024 with three 800+ km options. On 5 June 2026 Cameroon's presidency picked the western route via Garoua, Maroua and Kousséri (997 km, about XAF 4,829 bn, drawn here); Chad said on 11 June that no route was validated and prefers a southern one via Moundou (about 843 km). Etihad Rail (UAE) is to update the study and seek financing. koaci.com
World Bank (IDA) · lender, USD 538 m, 2022 ↗European Investment Bank (EIB) · lender ↗Agence Française de Développement (AFD) · lender, 2023 ↗African Development Bank (AfDB) · lender, EUR 330 m, 2025 ↗China Exim Bank · lender, USD 525 m, 2017 ↗Africa Global Logistics (AGL, MSC group) · concession ↗AD Ports Group · concession, EUR 73 m, 2026 ↗Built byChina Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) · builder ↗
15Lobito CorridorRailway · Angola, DR Congo, Zambia · 1,289 kmA railway from Angola's Atlantic port of Lobito to the copper and cobalt mines of DR Congo's Katanga and Zambia's Copperbelt: the 1,289 km Benguela Railway, the DR Congo's line on to Kolwezi and Lubumbashi, and a new line planned into Zambia.Why it matters. The flagship of the G7's Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment and the EU's Global Gateway: Washington and Brussels' answer to Chinese-built infrastructure, meant to carry critical minerals west to the Atlantic rather than east to Chinese buyers through Dar es Salaam and Durban.EU Global Gateway · corridor 12G7 PGIIThe White House (archived) · European Commission · AFCOperating2026-08The Benguela Railway has run under the Lobito Atlantic Railway concession since January 2024, and its USD 753 m debt package closed in July 2026. The DR Congo signed its line to Mota-Engil in August 2026; the new railway into Zambia has an AfDB loan approved but no builder yet.
  • Benguela Railway, Lobito to Luau · operating · 1,289 km Run by the Lobito Atlantic Railway concession since January 2024; floods cut it for two months from April 2026. africafc.org
  • DR Congo railway, Dilolo to Kolwezi, Lubumbashi and Sakania · approved · 1,004 km The line runs; a 30-year concession to rebuild and run it was signed with Mota-Engil Africa in August 2026, with no loan for the works yet. ecofinagency.com
  • Zambia–Lobito railway, Luacano to Chingola (new line) · approved · 830 km AfDB loan of USD 255 m approved in August 2026; no works contract awarded; financial close aimed for late 2027. allafrica.com
  • Port of Lobito, container terminal · approved Concession to MSC's Africa Global Logistics signed in December 2023; the mineral terminal is the railway's. maritimafrica.com
US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) · lender, USD 553 m, 2025 ↗Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) · lender, USD 200 m, 2025 ↗Afreximbank · lender, EUR 175 m, 2023 ↗China Eximbank · lender, USD 362 m, 2004 ↗Lobito Atlantic Railway (Trafigura, Mota-Engil, Vecturis) · concession, 2022 ↗Mota-Engil Africa · concession, 2026 ↗African Development Bank Group · lender, USD 255 m, 2026 ↗Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), guaranteed by SACE · lender, EUR 250 m, 2025 ↗Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) · concession, 2024 ↗Africa Global Logistics (MSC) · concession, EUR 100 m, 2023 ↗European Union (Global Gateway) · grant, 2023 ↗Built byChina Railway 20 Bureau Group (CRCC) · builder ↗
16North–South Corridor (Durban–Johannesburg–Beitbridge/Kazungula–Lusaka–Lubumbashi)Road · South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, DR CongoOne of southern Africa's main road freight routes, from the port of Durban through Johannesburg to the Zambian and Congolese Copperbelt (Kasumbalesa, Lubumbashi). It splits into two branches: through Zimbabwe via the Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts, or through Botswana via the Kazungula Bridge into Zambia. It links South Africa's ports with the Zambia–DRC Copperbelt.Why it matters. A patchwork of national and donor projects rather than one sponsor: Japan (JICA) and the AfDB paid for Kazungula, South African banks and Afreximbank for Beitbridge, Zimbabwe's own budget for its highway, and a Chinese state-owned consortium builds Zambia's Lusaka–Ndola toll road. Lobito, TAZARA and Nacala are pitched as alternatives to this route and South Africa's congested ports; COMESA, EAC and SADC treat it as a Tripartite trade-facilitation corridor.EU Global Gateway · corridor 10SADC · JICA · allAfrica / The Herald · Bulawayo24Operating2026-10Zimbabwe reached financial close on the Chirundu one-stop border post upgrade in early Oct 2026 and CBZ Bank committed USD 100 m to the Harare–Chirundu road in Aug 2026. By mid-July 2026, 550 of 580 km of the Beitbridge–Harare road were upgraded and open; Zambia's Lusaka–Ndola dual carriageway was 78% complete in June 2026.
  • Beitbridge border post (Zimbabwe side) · operating Rebuilt under a 17.5-year build-operate-transfer concession by the Zimborders consortium (reported cost USD 240-300 m); the new terminal was commissioned in Sep 2022 according to Zimbabwe's Herald. Zimborders says it clears about 500-750 trucks a day. zimborders.com
  • Beitbridge–Harare road (A4) · under construction · 580 km Rehabilitation and widening by five local contractors: 550.1 of 580 km upgraded and open as of 14 July 2026; the last 31.9 km due by end-2026. bulawayo24.com
  • Harare–Chirundu road (A1) · approved · 356 km Full rehabilitation estimated at about USD 900 m. CBZ Bank committed USD 100 m in Aug 2026, ring-fenced against road toll revenue; no start date for the main works reported. newzimbabwe.com
  • Chirundu one-stop border post upgrade (Zimbabwe–Zambia) · approved Southern Africa's first one-stop border post (opened 2009). A PPP with the Chirundu Border Consortium to upgrade and run the Zimbabwean side reached financial close in early Oct 2026, with Standard Bank and Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe as lead arrangers; construction yet to start. Zimbabwe's cabinet earlier put the cost at USD 66.8 m. allafrica.com
  • Kazungula Bridge and one-stop border post (Botswana–Zambia) · operating 923 m road-rail bridge over the Zambezi replacing a ferry; opened by the presidents of Botswana and Zambia in May 2021. Total cost USD 259.3 m. infra.global
  • Lusaka–Ndola dual carriageway · under construction · 327 km 327 km toll road PPP signed Feb 2023, works from 2024; 78% complete on the main carriageway in June 2026, with completion expected in 2026 ahead of a 2027 deadline. diggers.news
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) · lender, JPY 11.6 bn, 2012 ↗African Development Bank (AfDB) · lender, USD 76 m, 2011 ↗Zimborders Consortium · concession ↗Afreximbank · lender ↗Government of Zimbabwe · own budget, 2025 ↗CBZ Bank · lender, USD 100 m, 2026 ↗Standard Bank / Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe · lender, 2026 ↗Macro Ocean Investment Consortium · concession, USD 650 m, 2023 ↗
17Maputo Development Corridor (Gauteng–Mpumalanga–Maputo)Multimodal · South Africa, Mozambique, Eswatini · 630 kmRoad, rail and port corridor from South Africa's industrial heartland (Gauteng and Mpumalanga) to the port of Maputo, via the N4 toll road, the Pretoria–Komatipoort–Ressano Garcia–Maputo railway and the Lebombo/Ressano Garcia border. It carries chrome ore, ferrochrome, coal and magnetite exports from South Africa's north-east, plus containers and citrus. The private corridor body (MCLI) also covers Eswatini.Why it matters. Bottlenecks in South Africa's Transnet logistics have diverted mining exports to Maputo, which hit record volumes in 2025. The port is run by MPDC, controlled by Dubai's DP World and South Africa's Grindrod with Mozambique's CFM, under a concession extended to 2058. EU Global Gateway lists it within corridor 9 (Maputo–Gaborone–Walvis Bay), which continues west via the Trans-Kalahari road to Namibia.EU Global Gateway · corridor 9Grindrod / MPDC · Global Infrastructure Hub · AFD · Club of MozambiqueOperating2026-09In late September 2026 South African and Mozambican border agencies, with the World Bank, were working to clear multi-day truck queues at Lebombo/Ressano Garcia (up to 1,800 trucks a day), with a one-stop border post as the long-term aim. Maputo port handled a record 32.0 Mt in 2025, and in Feb 2026 Mozambique decided to tender the N4 concession that TRAC holds until 2028.
  • Port of Maputo (MPDC concession) · operating Record 32.0 Mt in 2025 (+3.4%), 11.7 Mt of it by rail (+17%). Concession extended in Feb 2024 from 2033 to 2058, with nearly USD 1.1 bn of investment due by 2033. Under way: DP World container terminal expansion to 530,000 TEU, bulk terminal to 16 Mt, Grindrod's magnetite and coal terminal to 12 Mt. grindrod.com
  • Ressano Garcia railway line (Maputo–Ressano Garcia) · operating · 88 km 88 km CFM line. Doubling from Maputo to Secongene finished Sep 2024; AFD loans and an EU grant (project started July 2025, to 2030) fund doubling of the last single-track section, Movene–Ressano Garcia, a longer yard at the Ressano Garcia dry port and new signalling on the whole line. india.afd.fr
  • Pretoria–Komatipoort railway (Transnet) · operating South African section run by Transnet Freight Rail. In Sep 2024 TFR said it could run at least 21 chrome trains a week to Maputo and that the line was under-used by chrome exporters. No newer Transnet capacity figure found. miningweekly.com
  • N4 Toll Route (Pretoria–Maputo) · operating · 630 km Cross-border toll concession held by TRAC since 1997, operating since 2000, ending in 2028. On 17 Feb 2026 Mozambique's cabinet decided to tender for a new concessionaire for its section; TRAC wants to bid. TRAC began rehabilitating 66 km between Ressano Garcia and Tchumene in June 2025. clubofmozambique.com
  • Lebombo / Ressano Garcia border post · operating Chronic truck congestion: 1,339-1,734 trucks a day processed on 21-24 Sep 2026, peaks above 1,800. SARS is automating the KM7 truck staging site; a one-stop border post was discussed with the World Bank on 15-17 Sep 2026 but has no start date. clubofmozambique.com
DP World · equity, 2026 ↗Grindrod · equity, 2024 ↗Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) · owner, 2025 ↗Agence française de développement (AFD) · lender, USD 133 m, 2025 ↗European Union · grant, EUR 30 m, 2025 ↗Trans African Concessions (TRAC) · concession, ZAR 3 bn, 1997 ↗
18TAZARA revitalisation (Tanzania–Zambia Railway, Dar es Salaam–Kapiri Mposhi)Railway · Tanzania, Zambia · 1,860 kmA 1,860 km railway built with Chinese finance and technical support in 1970-75, linking Zambia's Copperbelt to the Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam. China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) will spend about USD 1.4 bn to rehabilitate track and bridges and buy new rolling stock, then run the line for 30 years. It is meant to lift freight from about 200,000 t to 2.4 Mt a year, mainly Copperbelt minerals for export.Why it matters. China's flagship corridor in the region: the original line was financed by an interest-free Chinese loan, and the revival was agreed at the 2024 FOCAC summit before Xi Jinping, Samia Suluhu Hassan and Hakainde Hichilema. It is widely reported as Beijing's answer to the US/EU-backed Lobito Corridor, competing for the same Zambian and Congolese copper, with Chinese miners CMOC and Zijin reported to be taking stakes.Cost: USD 1.4 bn · CCECC's investment under the 30-year concession: about USD 1.0 bn for track, bridges and workshops and USD 0.4 bn for 32 locomotives and 762 wagons (later reports: about 34 locomotives, 760 wagons, 18 coaches). An April 2026 report values the project at USD 1.24 bn. ↗China FOCACRailway Gazette International · TAZARA · The Citizen (Tanzania) · Ecofin AgencyOperating2026-07The line runs at a fraction of capacity while it is rebuilt. The concession with CCECC was signed on 29 Sep 2025 (some reports say Nov 2025) and launched in Lusaka on 20 Nov 2025 with China's Premier Li Qiang. In April 2026 the Chinese side said final designs were almost ready and restated a three-year build; in July 2026 CCECC was mobilising and broke ground on a training centre and control centre in Dar es Salaam. No report yet of main track works.
  • Dar es Salaam–New Kapiri Mposhi main line · operating · 1,860 km In service at low volumes. CCECC holds a 30-year concession signed Sep 2025: about 3 years of rehabilitation (track, bridges, culverts, signalling, power, telecoms) then 27 years of operation. Engineering assessments and designs were under way in April-July 2026; Tanzania's deputy transport minister told parliament in May 2026 the project was under way. railwaygazette.com
  • TAZARA training centre and operations control centre, Dar es Salaam · under construction Groundbreaking on 17 July 2026: a 21,800 m2 training centre and a control centre to supervise traffic along the whole line. The Government of China is financing the training centre. thecitizen.co.tz
China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) · concession, USD 1.4 bn, 2025 ↗Government of China · own budget, 2026 ↗Government of Tanzania · owner, 2025 ↗Government of Zambia · owner, 2025 ↗
19Nacala Logistics Corridor (Moatize–Malawi–Nacala railway and ports)Multimodal · Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia · 912 kmA heavy-haul railway built by Vale and Mitsui from the Moatize coal basin in Mozambique's Tete province, across southern Malawi, to a deep-water coal terminal at Nacala-a-Velha, plus Nacala's general cargo port and Malawi's rail network. It carries mainly coking coal for export (capacity 18 Mt a year), plus fuel and general cargo to and from Malawi. Since April 2022 it is owned and run by Vulcan, part of India's Jindal group, as Nacala Logistics.Why it matters. Japan's corridor: Japanese lenders financed the railway in 2017 and JICA rebuilt Nacala port, and at TICAD 9 (Aug 2025) Tokyo launched 'Strengthening the Global Supply Chain through Nacala Corridor Development' for Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, aimed at minerals supply chains. A link to Zambia would give Copperbelt cargo a short route to the Indian Ocean, competing with TAZARA and Lobito.Cost: USD 6.2 bn · World Bank estimate (May 2025) of investment in the corridor over the past decade: USD 4.2 bn for the Moatize mine, new and rehabilitated railway and Nacala-a-Velha coal terminal; USD 600 m for Malawi and Mozambique rail branch lines; about USD 1 bn of public road works; plus a USD 350 m Japanese package for Nacala port ↗World Bank · JBIC · Club of Mozambique · Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and AnalysesOperating2026-04The railway and ports are in service (about 13.6 Mt of coal in 2023; a monthly record of 1.4 Mt in May 2025). In Dec 2025 Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and DR Congo signed a ministerial declaration to extend the corridor by about 2,400 km of new railway, and on 24 Apr 2026 Zambia Railways and Nacala Logistics signed an MoU to revive the dormant Chipata–Mchinji link.
  • Moatize–Nacala-a-Velha railway (via Malawi) · operating · 912 km Inaugurated by Vale in May 2017 (new line through Malawi plus rebuilt track in Mozambique). About 13.6 Mt of coal moved in 2023; Nacala Logistics reported 1.4 Mt in May 2025 alone. Owned by Vulcan (Jindal) since April 2022. clubofmozambique.com
  • Nacala-a-Velha coal terminal · operating Deep-water coal export terminal built with the railway; Nacala Logistics gives an annual shipping capacity of 18 Mt. nacalalogistics.com
  • Nacala general cargo and container port · operating Redeveloped with a 2012 Japanese grant and soft-loan package of about USD 350 m (JICA yen loans in 2013 and 2015); delayed by COVID-19, fully operational by 2023. documents1.worldbank.org
  • Malawi line Nkaya–Lilongwe–Mchinji · operating Branch upgraded by the corridor's private sponsors (part of USD 600 m spent on branch lines). Fuel trains from Nacala to Lilongwe resumed in July 2024 after 21 years, about 15 m litres a month; first coal train reached Lilongwe the same month. clubofmozambique.com
  • Chipata–Mchinji link to Zambia · stalled Short cross-border line idle for years after flood damage and COVID-19. On 24 Apr 2026 Zambia Railways and Nacala Logistics (CEAR) signed an MoU to rehabilitate and operate it, targeting over 100,000 t a month. A Dec 2025 four-country declaration envisages about 2,400 km of new railway beyond Chipata; a strategic partner was due to be chosen in Q1 2026, not confirmed. zrl.com.zm
Vulcan Resources (Jindal group) · owner, USD 270 m, 2022 ↗Vale · owner, 2021 ↗Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) · lender, USD 1 bn, 2017 ↗African Development Bank (AfDB) · lender, USD 300 m, 2017 ↗Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) · lender, JPY 37.1 bn, 2015 ↗World Bank (IDA) · grant, USD 123 m, 2025 ↗Zambia Railways Limited · owner, 2026 ↗

Who is behind which corridor

The same backers, by kind. China lends for, owns or builds 13 of the 19 corridors; American or European money or ownership is in 6. "Other states" here are Japan.

Who is behind which corridor. One row per corridor, one column per kind of backer. A disc means it lends, gives, owns or holds the concession; a ring means it only builds. Hover a cell for the names.
CorridorChinaUnited StatesEuropeGulf statesOther statesDevelopment banksAfrican governmentsCompanies and commercial banks
1Dakhla Atlantic–SahelGovernment of Morocco (own budget)SGTM (builder) · Somagec (builder)
2Nigeria–Morocco GasUnited Arab Emirates (lender)OPEC Fund (lender) · Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (lender)Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) (owner) · Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) (owner)
3Simandou Trans-Guinean railChina Baowu Steel Group (equity) · Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) (equity) · China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) (builder)Government of Guinea (equity)Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) (builder) · Rio Tinto SimFer (equity) · Wabtec (builder)
4Abidjan–Lagos HighwayChina Exim Bank (lender) · China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) (builder)European Union (grant) · European Union (grant)African Development Bank (AfDB) (lender)Federal Government of Nigeria (own budget)
5Niger–Benin Oil PipelineChina National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) (owner) · CNPC Finance (HK) (lender) · China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering (CPP) (builder) · China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) (lender)Government of Niger (equity)Bolloré (builder)
6Trans-Saharan HighwayKuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) (lender)African Development Bank (AfDB) (lender) · African Development Fund (AfDB Group) (lender) · ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) (lender) · BADEA (lender) · OPEC Fund (lender) · World Bank (grant)Government of Algeria (own budget)
7Trans-Saharan GasBank of China and ICBC (lender) · China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering (CPP) (builder)Sonatrach (builder) · Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) (owner) · SONIDEP (owner)Oilserv (builder)
8Central Corridor SGRSinosure (guarantor) · CCECC and CRCC joint venture (builder) · China Railway Engineering Group (CREC) (builder)EKN and SEK (Sweden) (guarantor) · SACE (Italy) (guarantor)African Development Bank (AfDB) (lender)Yapı Merkezi (builder) · Standard Chartered (lender)
9EACOPCNOOC (equity) · China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering (CPP) (builder)Afreximbank (lender) · Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) (lender)Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) (equity) · Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) (equity)TotalEnergies (equity) · Standard Bank (lender)
10Northern Corridor SGRChina Exim Bank (lender) · China Exim Bank (lender) · China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) (builder) · China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) (builder)Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (lender) · African Development Bank (AfDB) (lender)Government of Kenya (own budget)Yapı Merkezi (builder)
11LAPSSETChina Communications Construction Company (CCCC) (builder) · China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) (builder) · China Exim Bank (lender)African Development Bank (AfDB) (lender) · World Bank (lender)Government of Kenya (own budget)Dangote Group (equity)
12Addis Ababa–Djibouti railChina Exim Bank (lender) · China Exim Bank (lender) · China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) (builder) · China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) (builder) · China Merchants Port Holdings (equity) · China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) (builder)Government of Ethiopia (own budget) · Ethio-Djibouti Railway S.C. (EDR) (owner)
13Berbera CorridorBritish International Investment (BII) (equity) · UK government (DFID, now FCDO) (grant)DP World (concession) · Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) (grant)Government of Somaliland (equity)
14Douala–N'DjamenaChina Exim Bank (lender) · China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) (builder)European Investment Bank (EIB) (lender) · Agence Française de Développement (AFD) (lender)AD Ports Group (concession)World Bank (IDA) (lender) · African Development Bank (AfDB) (lender)Africa Global Logistics (AGL, MSC group) (concession)
15Lobito CorridorChina Eximbank (lender) · China Railway 20 Bureau Group (CRCC) (builder)US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) (lender)Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), guaranteed by SACE (lender) · European Union (Global Gateway) (grant)Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) (lender) · Afreximbank (lender) · African Development Bank Group (lender) · Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (concession)Lobito Atlantic Railway (Trafigura, Mota-Engil, Vecturis) (concession) · Mota-Engil Africa (concession) · Africa Global Logistics (MSC) (concession)
16North–South CorridorMacro Ocean Investment Consortium (concession)Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (lender)African Development Bank (AfDB) (lender) · Afreximbank (lender)Government of Zimbabwe (own budget)Zimborders Consortium (concession) · CBZ Bank (lender) · Standard Bank / Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe (lender)
17Maputo CorridorAgence française de développement (AFD) (lender) · European Union (grant)DP World (equity)Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) (owner)Grindrod (equity) · Trans African Concessions (TRAC) (concession)
18TAZARAChina Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) (concession) · Government of China (own budget)Government of Tanzania (owner) · Government of Zambia (owner)
19Nacala CorridorJapan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) (lender) · Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (lender)African Development Bank (AfDB) (lender) · World Bank (IDA) (grant)Zambia Railways Limited (owner)Vulcan Resources (Jindal group) (owner) · Vale (owner)

How this page was made

The register
A list kept by hand in corridors.json, compiled on 12 Oct 2026 from governments', development banks' and companies' own pages and the trade press. Every piece, status and backer carries the address it was read from. Anything that could not be sourced was left out.
What counts
A corridor is in the register when a published priority list names it (the European Union's twelve Global Gateway strategic corridors for Africa, October 2023; the African Union's PIDA Priority Action Plan 2021–2030; the G7's PGII flagships), or when it is one of the continent's large cross-border routes with a foreign state behind it. One railway built for a mine is in, Simandou's, because Guinea's Trans-Guinean line is designed to carry passengers and other freight too. Corridors that exist only as lines on a regional plan, with no piece funded, are not.
Pieces
Each corridor is cut into the few pieces that make it: a port, a railway, a road, a pipeline, a border post. A corridor's own stage is that of its main line; each piece has its own.
Stage
The site's five: announced (an intention, a memorandum, a study), approved (a board's approval, or an agreement between governments, a concession or a financing signed, with no works yet), under construction, operating, stalled (halted for a year or more, cancelled or suspended).
Backers
Who lends, gives, takes equity, owns or holds the concession, and who builds. A state-owned company or policy bank counts for its state: China Eximbank and CCECC for China, DP World for the United Arab Emirates. Private companies and commercial banks are a group of their own. The map's "who pays" colour is each piece's first-named funder; for a piece still on paper that can be whoever paid for its studies.
Money
Costs and amounts are kept as the source states them, in its currency and for what it covers. They differ in date and scope, from a feasibility estimate to a signed loan, so the page adds none of them up.
Map
Equirectangular, on Natural Earth's 1:10m borders. Pipelines from Global Energy Monitor's Global Oil and Gas Infrastructure Tracker (CC BY 4.0), as on the site's main map; the Lobito Corridor's railway from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); every other line through the towns its builders name.