AfDB, Togo Sign U.S. $36 Million Road Rehabilitation Grant Agreement

12 February 2010
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African Development Bank (Abidjan)
press release

Tunis — The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and Togo have signed a USD 36.2 million (Units of Accounts-UA 23.31 million) grant agreement for the rehabilitation of a major road link which constitutes part of the Trans-African highway.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday, 11 February 2010 in Tunis by Togolese Economy and Finance Minister, Adji Ayassor, and AfDB infrastructure Department Director, Gilbert Mbesherubusa.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Mr. Mbesherubusa explained that the realization of the Aflao-Sanve Condji-Benin Border Road Rehabilitation and Modernization Project ... will complete the missing link on the Togolese portion of the Abidjan-Lagos highway co-financed by the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the West African Development Bank and the ECOWAS Investment and Development Bank.

"This project constitutes an integral part of the Abidjan-Lagos Tran-African highway which is a priority in both ECOWAS and the NEPAD initiative," he said, adding that the highway is among the strategic road links in the zone and accounts for an important part of the road traffic between coastal cities in the sub-region (Abidjan, Accra, Lome, and Cotonou).

Mr. Mbesherubusa emphasized the need to accelerate the project's implementation process.

For his part, the Togolese Economy and Finance Minister, Adji Ayassor, said Togo had been faced with the problem of road infrastructure decay as a result of the political, economic and social crisis it faced over the last two decades.

The minister expressed the gratitude of the Togolese government to the Bank Group for the grant and the institution's 2008 arrears clearance budget support, which enabled the country to normalize relations with the Bank and other multilateral development institutions.

In supplementing the works carried out with financing from the World Bank and other multilateral development institutions the Bank's intervention will enable Togo complete the rehabilitation and modernization of the road link, and enhance efforts by the country to fully play its central role as inter-state trade corridor for landlocked countries (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger) and neighbouring countries (Ghana and Benin).

1 UA = USD 1.55419 = as at 11/02/2010

Contacts

Felix Njoku

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