ECOWAS 7th Joint Technical Steering Committee Meeting of the Multina-tional Road Development & Transport Facilitation Programme within the Mano River Union (MRU) holds in Monrovia
11 Jul, 2024The ECOWAS Commission, in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Mano River Union (MRU) held the 7th Joint Technical Steering Committee Meeting of the Multinational: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Liberia Road Development & Transport Facilitation Programme within the Mano River Union (MRU) in Monrovia, Liberia from July 9 to 10, 2024.
The 2-day meeting brought together the project Member Countries of Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Liberia, the ECOWAS Commission, the Secretariat of the Mano River Union and the African Development Bank (AfDB), to review the progress of the project implementation, discuss solutions to constraints and challenges, and agree on ways to accelerate the project.
Mr. Chris Appiah, the Ag. Director of Transport of the ECOWAS Commission, represented by Mr. Ashoke Maliki, the Project Manager welcomed members of the JTC to the 7th meeting of the committee. He stressed that the implementation of the programme is hinged on the commitment and inputs of the experts to the various components of the project which includes rehabilitation of road as well as the construction of a bridge over cavalla river. He enjoined member states to freely discussion the challenges of their components with the hope that the committee will proffer solutions.
In her opening remarks, H.E. Madam Josephine Nkrumah, the Resident Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission in Liberia, highlighted that as at today, considerable progress has also been made on the design of the two (2) Joint Border Posts (JPBs) at Prollo and Gbaplue, and the construction of a Bridge over Cavalla River, which are the key components being implemented by the ECOWAS Commission. On the Bridge component, the contract for the works has been awarded and physical works is expected to commence in September 2024 with completion period of 24 months.
“This regional project will no doubt benefit road users, transporters, farmers, the programme area inhabitants and especially the disadvantaged groups (women and children), which constitute the greater majority in the programme area.” She added
The Multinational Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Liberia: Road Development and Transport Facilitation Programme within the Mano River Union will cover 276.35 km of roads linking Danané-Lola (87.35 km); Bloléquin-Toulépleu-Liberian border (65 km); Tabou-Prollo/Cavally (28 km); Karloken-Fish Town (80 km) and Harper Junction-Cavally (16 km) to ensure that they are paved in order to increase their capacity to receive traffic throughout the year.
This Programme being financed by the AfDB will reduce poverty, promote agriculture and intra trade amongst Member States of the Programme area and is part of ECOWAS priority development programmes for the region.
