Road Infrastructure Ministers Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Countries Reaffirm Overwhelming Support for the Project at their 21st Ministerial Meeting

Lagos, Nigeria, Sept. 21, 2024 – Road Infrastructure Ministers of the five (5) Corridor Member Countries of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project being implemented by the ECOWAS Commission have reaffirmed their unflinching support for the impending project and have encouraged themselves to speed up the processes leading to the commencement of the construction phase of the project.

This was the underlining message from the Ministers at their 21st Project Ministerial Steering Committee Meeting organized by the ECOWAS Commission, the Implementing Agency for the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project, for project Ministers from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo Benin and Nigeria in Lagos, Nigeria.

In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization of the ECOWAS Commission Mr. Sediko Douka, acknowledged the presence of the newly appointed Ministers of Road Infrastructure from Ghana and Togo whiles welcoming them to their first Project Steering Committee meeting.

The Commissioner reiterated the project’s pivotal role, eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers, promoting free movement of people, goods and services across the region and updated the meeting of the ECOWAS Commission’s efforts to advance the technical studies for the highway and other components. The Commissioner extended his gratitude to the Government of Côte d’Ivoire for providing office accommodation and other facilities to host the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Management Authority (ALCoMA), the authority established by Heads of State and Government to manage and develop the corridor highway on behalf of the five countries. The Commissioner further reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to accelerating the operationalization of ALCOMA to play its important role in the execution phase of the project.

The representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) thanked the ECOWAS Commission for its leadership in driving the project and emphasized the Bank‘s continued commitment to lead the mobilization of resources for the construction of the highway.
The AfDB representative intimated that the project holds high-level priority within the Bank’s management and urged ECOWAS and the Countries to fast-track the completion of the studies to enable the financing and procurement to commence.

Taking turns to deliver their speeches, the Honourable Ministers conveyed the strong and unwavering commitment of their respective Governments to the successful implementation of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Project, underscoring the projects strategic significance as a flagship regional initiative that promises substantial economic and social transformation. The Ministers acknowledged the progress made so far in the technical studies, the commencement of the ALCOMA and reaffirmed their firm commitment to ensure its establishment and operationalization.

The Ministers, under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Works for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Engr David UMAHI noted progress by Member States in protecting their respective Right of Way reservations and stressed the need to resolve any remaining barriers, expedite pending activities, secure the necessary financing, and commence construction as soon as possible.

The Ministers noted the outstanding areas requiring correction by the Consultants for the Detailed Design Study and urged ECOWAS to ensure that the Consultants submit all Revised Engineering Design Reports by December 2024 as agreed at the technical validation workshop.
The next Steering Committee meeting is scheduled to be held in December 2024 in the Togolese Republic.