AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND ECOWAS COMMENCES JOINT IDENTIFICATION MISSIONS TO CORRIDOR MEMBER STATES TO ENGAGE INITIATE FINANCING DISCUSSIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 1028KM 6-LANE ABIDJAN-LAGOS HIGHWAY

Following the completion of the economic and technical studies for the 6-lane dual carriage supranational Abidjan-Lagos corridor highway, the project has advanced to the investment stage, and the realisation of this visionary economic corridor is in clear sight.

This flagship regional economic corridor project includes the construction of a Highway extending over 1028 km linking the main economic centres of West Africa, namely Abidjan, Accra, Lomé, Cotonou, and Lagos. It also involves opening up corridor-wide economic centres to support regional integration, tourism, and industrialisation through corridor value chains with enhanced production capacity.

Interventions are planned to enhance the free movement of trade and transport along the corridor.

In a bid to raise the required financing for the construction, operation, and maintenance, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the main financier and Mandatory Lead Arranger for the project, is embarking on a joint project identification mission. This mission includes the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) , and the ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU) , to the five corridor countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.

The mission, led by Mr. Mike Salawou, Director of Infrastructure and Urban Development at the AfDB, and Mr. Chris Appiah, Director of Transport at ECOWAS, will engage from 8th to 24th April with Ministers of Finance and Road Infrastructure Ministers, alongside their technical teams. The aim is to secure the commitments of respective governments for the investment phase of the highway construction, while engaging road infrastructure authorities and engineers on the technical design elements with particular attention to environmental and social impact mitigation components.

This Identification Mission marks the commencement of the Bank’s process to secure concessionary financing, to leverage private sector investment towards the construction and management of the Abidjan-Lagos Highway.

In accordance with the Corridor Treaty signed by Presidents and Heads of State of the five corridor Member States, the highway is being designed, constructed, and operated as a single whole, known as "ONE ROAD". In this regard, the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor has been designed as a borderless economic corridor, which will progressively be operated without the physical land borders between these neighbouring countries.

Additionally, through the Corridor Treaty, the Presidents created a supra-national Corridor Body, the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA) , with representatives from the corridor countries, to design, construct, and manage the corridor as a single unit.

The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Program is a major initiative and flagship project by the leaders of the five countries. It aims to transform the Abidjan-Lagos transport corridor into an integrated economic corridor, removing barriers to trade and transport, facilitating the movement of people and goods, improving the business environment, and reducing the cost of transport.

The program also aims to ensure better connection between consumption and production areas, facilitate access to basic social services, schools, and health centres, and reduce poverty.

With the commitment of the respective governments secured, the funding request will be presented to the Board of the African Development Bank in May 2026.