[ACCI-CAVIE] With the announcement made on May 6, 2022 by the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the ambitious Abidjan-Lagos highway project is expected to gain momentum. Akinwumi Adesina said that the pan-African bank has mobilized an envelope of 15.6 billion dollars, necessary for the construction of the highway.

The 1,081 km Abidjan-Lagos highway is an integrating project that will link the two main cities of West Africa and whose road axis covers 75% of the region’s commercial activities. The highway will start in the east of Abidjan and end at Mile 2 in the southwest of Lagos. The cost of this ambitious project is estimated at $15.6 billion. An investment that the African Development Bank (AfDB) says it has already obtained. It is its president Akinwumi Adesina who made the announcement. It should be said that the Abidjan-Lagos highway has attracted a lot of interest from private, public and institutional investors during the virtual meetings “Africa Investment Forum” held on 15, 16 and 17 March 2022.

Betting on a promising project

For Akinwumi Adesina, investors are betting on a promising project. The Abidjan-Lagos corridor will connect the most dynamic cities and ports in West Africa, create opportunities and stimulate transport. It links the capitals of five West African states (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria). This infrastructure will also increase trade and integration in the zone by providing maritime port access to landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad and will contribute to accelerating the implementation of the AfCFTA, with its 1.3 billion consumers.

Three sections are planned for the construction of this 2 or 3 lane highway. These are the Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) -Takoradi (Ghana) axis, 295 km long; Takoradi (Ghana)-Akanu (Ghana), 466 km long; and Noepé (Togo)-Cotonou (Benin)-Lagos (Nigeria), 320 km long. A total of 8 border posts will be built along this road axis. The work is scheduled to last 6 years.

By BT