AfDB approves US$159.5M loan to boost logistics links in DRC’s Ngandajika Agro-Industrial Park

DRC – The African Development Bank Group has cleared a loan of US$159.50 million to improve road and airport links that serve the Ngandajika Agro-Industrial Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The full project will cost US$177.16 million, with the government providing the balance.

The project will upgrade key roads that connect Nkuadi to Ngandajika and the Ngandajika park, along with the link between Lukalaba and Ngandajika. It will also improve access between National Road 1 and National Road 2. In addition, the runway at Mbuji-Mayi airport will be extended to support freight from the growing agro-industrial zone.

Léandre Bassolé, the African Development Bank’s Director General for Central Africa, said the project marks an important step for the region. “This project is a major strategic milestone for the economic integration of Central Africa and for the agricultural industrialization of the DRC. By increasing access to the Ngandajika Agro-Industrial Park, we are not only improving a road: we are strengthening a critical value chain, opening up new trade corridors, and creating a powerful lever for competitiveness, employment and economic inclusion especially for women and youth. This project fully illustrates our commitment to structuring infrastructure for a sustainable and sovereign transformation of the region’s economies.”

Better roads and a stronger airport will help farmers, transporters and agro-industries in Kasai Oriental and Lomami move goods more easily and at lower cost. Local youth and women involved in farming and trade will also gain new chances to grow their income.

Johnny Makwela, project manager, underlined how the work will fix long-standing challenges. “This project will remove one of the main obstacles to the competitiveness of the Ngandajika agro-industrial park: the lack of reliable infrastructure for the transport of inputs and the evacuation of production. The new roads and improved air services will significantly reduce logistics costs and accelerate the integration of producers into agro-industrial value chains.”

Support for DRC’s agricultural goals

The transport upgrades form part of the Agricultural Transformation Program and support the development of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone of Ngandajika. They also align with the African Continental Free Trade Area plan, which aims to boost trade through better connectivity.

The plan fits into the DRC Country Strategy Paper 2023-2028, which focuses on building strong agricultural systems, improving food security and supporting local producers as they enter wider markets.

The approval comes as the African Development Bank continues to expand support for regional integration and agricultural growth across Africa. Recent bank-backed programs in Central and Eastern Africa focus on irrigation, storage, climate resilience and cross-border trade infrastructure. These efforts strengthen the broader economic environment in which the Ngandajika project will operate.

With the new funding in place, the bank has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to helping the DRC grow stronger supply chains and increase economic activity across the central region.

Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE.