Civil society groups raise land concerns over Lobito Corridor projects in Zambia

Why it matters

The government of Zambia and its international partners have characterized the Lobito Corridor in North-Western Province as a solution to regional economic isolation. Government officials describe the project as a vehicle for regional integration and critical mineral connectivity. However, the North-Western Civil Society Forum reports that the planning process proceeds without local consultation, which the forum says converts the region into a transit zone for global capital.

The administration, according to the North-Western Civil Society Forum, utilizes centralized control to bypass traditional land governance structures, which the forum states strips local chiefs and community leaders of their agency. During the Lobito Corridor Community and Investment Indaba held in Solwezi on October 13-14, 2026, the theme focused on a 'corridor for all,' yet the North-Western Civil Society Forum asserts that high-level memoranda are signed in boardrooms while local families face exclusion. The current development model treats land as a commodity for export-led growth, an approach the North-Western Civil Society Forum identifies as a method of dismantling the social contract between the state and the people of North-Western Province.

The Ministry of Energy promotes the 'Grow Zambia Agenda' as a community empowerment initiative, but the forum notes that the delivery of services and disbursement of funds remain opaque. For example, the Kafue Gorge Lower Community Development Company handed over projects valued at K50.88 million, though the North-Western Civil Society Forum argues these figures do not account for the systemic neglect of essential public services in the province. The lack of an independent monitoring framework, according to the forum, leaves communities without recourse when land rights are violated or projects fail to deliver.

What we don't know yet

The extent to which the government may adjust its development model remains unclear. While proponents of the corridor argue that the scale of investment requires a top-down approach, it is not established how the administration intends to reconcile this with the requirements of customary land law. There is no public data confirming how land is allocated for specific corridor-related projects or a detailed breakdown of which multinational entities are the primary beneficiaries of these acquisitions. The Auditor General’s office and parliamentary oversight committees have not yet issued comprehensive reports on the oversight of this rapid, state-led infrastructure expansion. Additionally, the degree to which current tensions may affect specific project timelines or the renegotiation of international agreements is not currently documented. It is also uncertain whether the Ministry of Lands will consider establishing an independent commission to oversee compensation and benefit-sharing as suggested by various stakeholders to address local grievances. The future response of political opponents to these land issues and their potential mobilization strategies during the next electoral cycle remain variables that have not yet manifested in organized policy shifts.

What to watch

Observers should monitor the frequency and scale of community-led demonstrations against land acquisition in the lead-up to the next major electoral cycle in Zambia, as the North-Western Civil Society Forum suggests this is an indicator of intensifying social friction. A potential pivot toward an inclusive model would be signaled by changes in the rhetoric of the Ministry of Lands and the formal inclusion of civil society representatives in corridor planning committees. A decline in the number of new project announcements or a slowdown in the disbursement of funds for infrastructure would indicate that the government is experiencing a stalemate due to a lack of local support, forcing a potential renegotiation of agreements with international partners. Stakeholders are tracking whether the government will prioritize the formalization of land rights or continue to rely on the current 'development first' narrative. The North-Western Civil Society Forum continues to track how local residents manage their access to water and food security as industrial activity and the influx of workers pressure existing public services like schools and clinics. Ongoing documentation by civil society organizations regarding land use and legal disputes over customary tenure will be a key area for analysis as the corridor infrastructure continues to expand across the region.