Benguela — The President of the Republic of Botswana, Duma Gideon Boko, arrived on Wednesday (09) in the province of Benguela, where he will visit the construction works of the Lobito Refinery, as part of his 72-hour working visit to Angola.
The Batswana statesman is in Angola at the invitation of his Angolan counterpart, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, within the framework of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Upon arrival at the Paulo Teixeira Jorge Catumbela International Airport, Duma Gideon Boko was received by members of the central government and the provincial governor of Benguela, Manuel Nunes Júnior.
During his stay in Angola, the Batswana leader traveled to the Republic Square, where he paid tribute to the late President António Agostinho Neto and signed the guestbook. Afterwards, he was at the Presidential Palace, where he held a meeting with his counterpart, João Lourenço.
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Also on Wednesday, meetings were held between the ministerial delegations, who signed various bilateral agreements.
Duma Gideon Boko also traveled to the National Assembly, where he held a courtesy meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Adão de Almeida, and attended the Angola-Botswana Business and Economic Forum where he advocated for the elimination of barriers and the creation of channels that allow the free flow of business and trade between the two countries.
About the Lobito Refinery
The Lobito Refinery is projected to have a processing capacity of 200,000 barrels of oil daily.
The industrial project, considered strategic for the country's self-sufficiency in refined petroleum products, is scheduled to start production as early as next year, placing essential products such as fuel oil, diesel, LPG, and naphtha on the market.
The manufacturing unit is budgeted at over $6.27 billion, with overall completion scheduled for 2029. By last January, Sonangol had already injected about $1.4 billion into the project and continues to seek partners for the construction of what, upon completion, will be the country's largest refinery.
The construction of the Lobito Refinery mobilizes 2,727 direct employees, of whom 1,204 are local labor. The international dimension of the project is also reflected in jobs created in the global supply chain, with 677 employees in China, 50 in the United States, 29 in India, and 25 in Lebanon.
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At the same time, about 20 kilometers from the future refinery, a crucial civil engineering work is progressing.
Downstream from the Lomaum dam, a system will capture water from the Catumbela River, pumping 400 liters per second to ensure the complex's water autonomy. CRB/CF/jmc
