President Félix Tshisekedi has directed the government to prepare a coordinated industrial roadmap connecting technical training, research and Congolese expertise with the battery value chain and the Mussompo Special Economic Zone.
KINSHASA — October 26, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo is taking a new step toward transforming its mineral resources at home by placing Congolese skills, industrial training and innovation at the centre of its battery ambitions.
During the 101st meeting of the Council of Ministers, held on October 23 at the Cité de l'Union Africaine in Kinshasa, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo instructed the government to develop and implement a concerted roadmap for the transformation of the Mutoshi Technical Institute in Kolwezi into a centre of excellence serving the country's industrial future.
The presidential directive connects the training project to the development of the Congolese battery value chain and the Mussompo Special Economic Zone in Lualaba. According to the Congolese Press Agency, the roadmap will cover resource mobilisation, modernisation of infrastructure and training programmes, support for research and innovation, and the development of industrial partnerships.
A National Centre for Industrial Skills
The Mutoshi Technical Institute is being positioned as a centre of excellence dedicated to mining professions, industrial technologies and the local transformation of the DRC's mineral resources.
The project reflects a strategic approach in which education is directly connected to the industries the country is working to develop. By preparing technicians, engineers, researchers and industrial specialists in the DRC, the initiative can strengthen the national expertise required to operate mines, processing facilities and future battery-related industries.
The Council of Ministers reporting confirms that President Tshisekedi welcomed the effective launch of the project to transform the Kolwezi institution into a specialised centre for technical knowledge, research and industrial innovation.
Government Ministries Mobilised Around One Roadmap
The initiative will be coordinated by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, with the participation of the Presidency and the ministries responsible for Industry, Vocational Training, Higher Education, Mines, Water Resources and Electricity, and the state portfolio.
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DR Congo to Train Engineers for Future Battery Industry
Oct 26, 2026
Oct 26, 2026
6 min read
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President Félix Tshisekedi has directed the government to prepare a coordinated industrial roadmap connecting technical training, research and Congolese expertise with the battery value chain and the Mussompo Special Economic Zone.
KINSHASA — October 26, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo is taking a new step toward transforming its mineral resources at home by placing Congolese skills, industrial training and innovation at the centre of its battery ambitions.
During the 101st meeting of the Council of Ministers, held on October 23 at the Cité de l'Union Africaine in Kinshasa, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo instructed the government to develop and implement a concerted roadmap for the transformation of the Mutoshi Technical Institute in Kolwezi into a centre of excellence serving the country's industrial future.
The presidential directive connects the training project to the development of the Congolese battery value chain and the Mussompo Special Economic Zone in Lualaba. According to the Congolese Press Agency, the roadmap will cover resource mobilisation, modernisation of infrastructure and training programmes, support for research and innovation, and the development of industrial partnerships.
A National Centre for Industrial Skills
The Mutoshi Technical Institute is being positioned as a centre of excellence dedicated to mining professions, industrial technologies and the local transformation of the DRC's mineral resources.
The project reflects a strategic approach in which education is directly connected to the industries the country is working to develop. By preparing technicians, engineers, researchers and industrial specialists in the DRC, the initiative can strengthen the national expertise required to operate mines, processing facilities and future battery-related industries.
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The Council of Ministers reporting confirms that President Tshisekedi welcomed the effective launch of the project to transform the Kolwezi institution into a specialised centre for technical knowledge, research and industrial innovation.
Government Ministries Mobilised Around One Roadmap
The initiative will be coordinated by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, with the participation of the Presidency and the ministries responsible for Industry, Vocational Training, Higher Education, Mines, Water Resources and Electricity, and the state portfolio.
This interministerial structure brings together the main public institutions needed to align professional training with energy supply, mining policy, industrial infrastructure, higher education and the management of state-owned companies.
As detailed by Cable.cd, the roadmap is intended to coordinate these sectors around shared national objectives instead of treating training, mineral extraction, electricity and industrial production as separate areas.
The Council decision moves the Mutoshi initiative into a coordinated planning and implementation phase. The government is expected to organise the necessary resources, modernise facilities and programmes, strengthen research, and develop partnerships capable of supporting the progressive commissioning of the planned installations.
Linking Training to Congo's Battery Ambition
The roadmap gives the Mutoshi project a direct role in the DRC's ambition to move beyond the export of unprocessed strategic minerals.
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The country possesses major resources used in batteries and electric-vehicle technologies. Building a domestic industrial value chain requires not only minerals, but also technical knowledge, reliable electricity, research capacity, specialised infrastructure and a workforce prepared for modern production systems.
By connecting Mutoshi with the battery value chain, the government is creating a bridge between Congolese classrooms and Congolese industry. Students and trainees can be prepared for the real technical needs of mineral processing, industrial maintenance, production management, laboratory work and technology development.
The initiative also places research and innovation alongside vocational education. This can support a new generation of Congolese specialists capable of improving production methods, adapting technologies to local conditions and helping national industries create more value from the country's resources.
Mussompo as a Platform for Local Transformation
The roadmap will also link the Mutoshi centre to the Mussompo Special Economic Zone near Kolwezi. The zone is being developed as an industrial platform for battery precursors, related services and other activities connected to mineral transformation.
In June 2025, the government confirmed that the battery manufacturing and related-services project had been transferred to Mussompo in Lualaba. The official report carried by ACP described the site as part of the national effort to make the DRC an active participant in the global battery and electric-vehicle industry.
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Connecting Mussompo's future factories with a specialised Congolese training institution can create a practical talent pipeline. Industry will need qualified workers, while students will benefit from courses and technical experience aligned with emerging employment opportunities.
This is how mineral wealth can be converted into lasting national capacity: resources are transformed locally, Congolese professionals gain advanced skills, businesses receive trained personnel and more value remains inside the national economy.
Gécamines Supports the National Industrial Vision
President Tshisekedi encouraged Gécamines to continue supporting the Mutoshi project. As the DRC's state mining company and an institution with deep experience in the Copperbelt, Gécamines can help connect technical education with the operational realities of the mining and industrial sectors.
The President also tasked his office with identifying additional strategic partners capable of contributing to the initiative. These partnerships can mobilise equipment, technical expertise, research cooperation and industrial experience while keeping the project aligned with Congolese priorities.
The roadmap therefore brings together state leadership, public enterprises, training institutions and industrial partners around a shared objective: building the skills and infrastructure required for local transformation.
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