The heads of ECOWAS member states gathered on Saturday to finalize and approve the design for the Lagos-Abidjan Corridor Highway Development Project, a $15 billion initiative aimed at boosting regional economic integration. The meeting, held in Lagos and chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, comes ahead of the upcoming discussions on procurement.
Currently in its study phase, the project involves extensive research, planning, and design. Providing an update, Umahi noted that the project, launched in 2013, has received substantial backing from the African Development Bank. He stressed that the meeting marked a key milestone in finalizing the design, which would allow the project to move closer to implementation.
“The design, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), and funding mechanisms have been under development for the past 11 years,” Umahi said. “Today, we will receive input from the committee of experts on the design, with the goal of approving it. We anticipate starting the procurement process at our next meeting.”
Ghana’s Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Francis Boakye, highlighted the critical role of infrastructure, particularly roads, in driving socio-economic development. He pointed out that highways promote trade, tourism, and economic activity, using the United States’ economic expansion as an example of the positive impact of infrastructure investment. Boakye emphasized the importance of the Lagos-Abidjan highway in advancing West Africa’s economic integration and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to the project.
Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Equipment and Road Maintenance, Dr. Amede Kouakou, echoed the collective determination of the involved nations to accelerate the project’s progress. He pledged to ensure that the initiative benefits the citizens of Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.
Slated to begin in 2025, the Lagos-Abidjan Corridor Highway is a key part of the broader Dakar-Lagos Corridor, a flagship ECOWAS development program. The 1,068-kilometre highway will traverse five ECOWAS member countries—Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria—connecting eight border towns and four major land borders from Lagos to Abidjan. The African Development Bank is financing the project.