Zambia and Japan signed a grant agreement on Thursday 22 October to equip Zambia Railways with maintenance machinery made in Japan. Lusaka Times reports that Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane and Japan's ambassador, Mikami Akiteru, carried out an exchange of notes and signed the agreement at the ministry's offices in Lusaka under Japan's Economic and Social Development Programme. Zambia Monitor describes it as part of Japan's 2026 grant aid, and says the Secretary to the Treasury and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Logistics attended.
The two reports differ on the headline number. Lusaka Times gives US$6.3 million. Zambia Monitor reports that the Ministry of Finance announced a grant of US$6.17 million, while noting that the ambassador described it at the ceremony as roughly US$6.3 million, or 999 million yen, and that the gap was not explained. The yen figure is the one stated by the donor.
What the money buys
Both outlets report that the grant will pay for railway maintenance equipment, including crane-equipped motor cars and road-rail crane trucks that can travel on both roads and tracks. Lusaka Times says the purpose is to rehabilitate track and systems for Zambia Railways, cut transport costs and improve capacity to move minerals and agricultural produce to regional and international markets. Zambia Monitor quotes Mr Akiteru as saying the project would also support the use of transport corridors such as the Nacala Corridor.
Railways are vital infrastructure for economic and social development.
— Mikami Akiteru, Ambassador of Japan to Zambia, at the signing ceremony in Lusaka on Thursday 22 October, as reported by Zambia Monitor
Dr Musokotwane tied the grant to the Government's export-led growth plans. Lusaka Times quotes him as saying it "fits very neatly into our Grow Zambia Agenda of export-led growth", and that "to export, you need reliable transport and it must also be cheap". Zambia Monitor reports that he described the railway subsector as central to Zambia's ambition to become a regional transport and logistics hub, and quotes him thanking the Government and people of Japan on behalf of Zambia.
Mr Akiteru, according to Lusaka Times, said Zambia "is strategically located at the crossroads of major transport corridors in Southern Africa", and, according to Zambia Monitor, that Japanese rail systems were internationally recognised for safety, punctuality and efficiency and that the project would help Zambia move its natural resources more efficiently, attract investment and create jobs. Neither report gives a delivery date for the equipment or says which sections of the network it will serve first.
Sources: Lusaka Times, “Zambia, Japan Sign US$6.3 Million Grant Agreement For Railway Maintenance” (22 Oct 2026); Zambia Monitor, “Zambia secures $6.17 million Japanese grant for railway maintenance” (22 Oct 2026).