Luanda, Dec. 23, 2025 (Lusa) - Portuguese civil engineering and construction company, Mota-Engil announced on Tuesday that it has secured US$214 million in financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's private sector arm, to support its operations in Africa.
"The financing [equivalent to €181 million] will support the expansion and execution of transformative mining projects in South Africa, Senegal and Guinea Conakri, as well as major railway projects, including the Kano - Maradi railway corridor in Nigeria and the Lobito railway corridor in Angola, while strengthening Mota-Engil's broader operations across the continent," reads the statement sent to Lusa.
In the text, Mota-Engil adds that "the new financing will enable the acquisition of state-of-the-art construction and mining equipment, increasing operational efficiency and integrating sustainability, a central strategic pillar, into all phases of project execution."
Quoted in the statement, Mota-Engil's chairman and chief executive, Carlos Mota Santos, said that "having a long-term partner of the calibre of the IFC brings not only financial strength but, above all, strategic additionality, from its development experience to its environmental and social standards, and its ability to catalyse further investment in Mota-Engil's operations and initiatives".
In the statement, the IFC's managing director said that the partnership with the Portuguese company, which has been present in Africa for over 80 years, "strengthens its ability to mobilise international capital for complex, large-scale projects that deliver lasting economic value and positive social impact," and added that this partnership "will help unlock Africa's potential by financing critical equipment for rail and mining operations, boosting trade, creating jobs and strengthening regional integration."
Among the various projects, Makhtar Diop highlighted the Lobito corridor, an initiative that will connect the port of Lobito to the mineral-rich provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia by restoring and expanding the existing railway line.
"Restoring the railway corridor from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Port of Lobito in Angola is a transformative opportunity; a revitalised corridor can reduce transport costs, catalyse diversified economic activity and connect the region more competitively to global markets," he concluded.
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