The African Development Bank Group has concluded a joint multi-country mission with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to mobilise financing for the Abidjan-Lagos Highway, a flagship regional infrastructure project linking Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
The mission, held from 9 to 24 April, forms part of efforts to secure financial commitments for the construction, operation and maintenance of the 1,028-km highway, widely seen as a transformative project for regional integration and trade.
Led by Mike Salawou, Director of the African Development Bank Group's Infrastructure and Urban Development Department, the delegation included Chris Appiah, ECOWAS Director of Transport; representatives of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development; the West African Development Bank; and private-sector stakeholders, including Ecobank.
During the mission, the delegation engaged ministers from the project's Steering Committee, including Yacouba Sié Hien, Côte d'Ivoire's Minister of Infrastructure and Road Maintenance; Kwame Governs Agbodza, Ghana's Minister of Roads and Highways; Sani Yaya, Togo's Delegate Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure; and David Umahi, Nigeria's Minister of Works, who also chairs the Steering Committee. Discussions were also held with senior officials from finance ministries across the five countries, as well as national and regional financial institutions.
Technical consultations focused on the design of the road corridor and measures to mitigate environmental and social impacts.
During the meetings, Salawou underscored the project's alignment with the Bank Group's Four Cardinal Points strategic priorities, in particular, Pillar 1 (Improved Access to Capital) and Pillar 4 (Climate-Resilient Infrastructure and Value Addition).
Chris Appiah, for his part, stressed the urgency of securing adequate financing, including support for viability gap funding and land acquisition costs, warning that delays could undermine the project's transformative potential.
The Abidjan-Lagos corridor is expected to serve as a major economic and industrial hub in West Africa, facilitating trade and connectivity along one of the continent's busiest transport routes. It is also seen as a key enabler of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The African Development Bank Group, acting as lead partner, has already provided $25 million in technical assistance for the project's preparatory phase. With feasibility studies completed, the project has entered its investment phase, paving the way for the construction of a six-lane transnational motorway.
Under the Corridor Treaty signed by the five participating countries, the highway will be built and operated as a single unified asset. A supranational body, the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Management Authority, has been established to oversee the design, construction, and operation of the corridor, marking a significant step towards creating a seamless, borderless economic corridor in West Africa.
