Zambia and the EIB

The EIB has worked with Zambia since 1978.

We offer a wide range of products and support many sectors in the country. Since 2010, our operations in the country have grown significantly to the benefit of the public and the private sectors.

The EIB provides lines of credit to banks to fund small and medium companies, as well as to financial institutions to support microenterprises. We also help finance public infrastructure projects in the transport, water, sanitation and energy sectors (including the transmission and distribution of hydropower).

These projects illustrate the close cooperation and longstanding relationship fostered with the government of Zambia, local stakeholders and the European Union.

Through the Zambia Agriculture Value Chain Facility, a joint initiative launched by the EIB and the European Commission, we improve access to suitable finance in the country, mainly to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) active along the agriculture and aquaculture value chains.

Our investments in public infrastructure and transport helped improve the connections in the country. The Great East Road project, signed in 2011, improved about 360 km of highway on the Great East Road connecting central Zambia to its eastern province, as well as in the Nacala Development Corridor. The project aims at generating savings in vehicle operating costs and travel time, as well as reducing the risk of road accidents.

We promote projects that improve access to water and contribute to better health. The Zambia Water and Sanitation project, signed in 2013, helps people get better access to water and sanitation, including in peri-urban and low-cost areas.

To support solar projects across the African continent, we are helping to finance the Ngonye photovoltaic solar plant in Zambia. The project is promoted by energy company Enel and will also be supported by loans from the International Finance Corporation (IFC, World Bank Group) and the IFC-Canada Climate Change Programme.

Projects in the sectors of renewable energy (hydro, solar, wind), power interconnectors, solid waste, and water (sanitation, waste for health facilities) are planned for the future.