Representatives of development partners financing a major highway upgrade linking the Togolese capital, Lome, to Cotonou, Benin, joined Togolese officials on 19 June 2024 to inspect the project's progress.
The €181.4 million Lomé-Cotonou Road Rehabilitation (Phase 2) and Coastal Protection Project, part of the larger Abidjan-Lagos Corridor initiative, aims to improve regional integration and economic development in West Africa. It is funded by a consortium that includes the African Development Bank, the European Union, the West African Development Bank, the Global Environment Facility, and the Togolese government.
The works, about 80 percent complete, entail upgrading the Avépozo-Aného section (30 kilometres) to two double lanes. It also includes coastal protection studies, as well as commercial, health-related, educational and socio-cultural facilities, and initiatives that will benefit youth and women.
The inspection team, led by Togolese Minister of Public Works, Zouréhatou Kassah-Traoré, visited several completed ancillary projects, including an expanded market in Baguida with new storage facilities and revamped water and power distribution networks. The officials also toured a new footbridge at Agbodrafo, an upgraded and refitted medical center, and a new multifunctional youth center in Abalo-Condji.
Afi Mawulé Takpa, head of the medical center's maternity unit, expressed her satisfaction: "Through the project, we've gained accommodation within the medical and social center, which will enable us to be physically closer to the patients and to look after them better. There will be ten new beds in the building, and we've also received IT and childbirth delivery equipment. This will enable us to offer our patients a superior quality of care," she stated.
Wilfrid Abiola, the African Development Bank's Country Manager for Togo, emphasized the Bank's commitment to Togo's development objectives. "This road is essential, and the Bank is committed to working hand-in-hand with Togo to help it achieve its development objectives," he reaffirmed, adding that the Bank is working to raise additional financing for the completion of the corridor project.
Joaquin Tasso Vilallonga, the European Union's Ambassador to Togo, stated: "The European Union has shown its commitment to these major infrastructure projects, and has also facilitated regional integration. We are extremely satisfied with what we have seen. The work is almost complete. In a few months, we'll have the handover, and that will help to strengthen regional integration in West Africa."
The visit provided an opportunity to evaluate the progress made since work began in 2020, and to inform and raise awareness among its beneficiaries of its importance for regional economic development and improving communities' quality of life. The work is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2024.
