The heads of member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have convened in Lagos to finalise the designing of the $15 billion Lagos-Abidjan Corridor Highway Development Project.
This ambitious infrastructure initiative will connect five West African nations—Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, and Nigeria—via a 1,068-kilometer highway that will link eight border towns, beginning in Lagos and ending in Abidjan.
Chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the meeting focused on advancing the project towards its procurement phase, with construction expected to start in 2025.
Umahi noted that the project has been in development for 11 years, receiving critical backing from the African Development Bank. “Today, we aim to finalize the design and set procurement goals for our next meeting,” Umahi said.
“The design of the project, ESIA design, conceptualisation, and funding mechanisms have been on in the past 11 years,” he said.
“As of today, we are going to listen to the committee of experts in terms of the design and so we believe that we will finalise and approve the design today, and then we set the goal for procurement, probably in our next meeting.”
It was earlier reported that the Lagos-Abidjan Highway project is expected to carry over 500,000 passengers daily and significantly boost trade, tourism, and economic activities within the region.
He highlighted that the Lagos-Abidjan highway would be instrumental in facilitating trade, tourism, and overall economic growth across the West African sub-region, drawing parallels with the U.S. economic boom, which was largely propelled by its extensive highway system.
The Minister of Equipment and Road Maintenance for Côte d’Ivoire, Dr. Amede Kouakou, reiterated his country’s commitment to accelerating the project, stressing the significant benefits it will offer to both Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the broader region.
The highway, a key component of the larger Dakar-Lagos Corridor, is expected to carry over 500,000 passengers daily and significantly bolster trade, tourism, and economic integration across the region.