The Stakeholder Consultation and Validation Workshop for the Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) study of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, held from May 14 to 16, 2024, in Accra, Ghana, has received significant praise from experts.
The workshop, organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) was to deliberate on a comprehensive roadmap for the development of the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, considering economic, social, environmental, and logistical factors, that will enable them to obtain funding and support from international organizations, governments, and private investors.
Mr. Sediko Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitization, represented by Mr. Chris Appiah, Acting ECOWAS Director of Transport, at the opening of the all-important workshop, says the initiative will spur growth across various sectors including trade, industry, agriculture, energy, environment, ICT, and tourism.
The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project, being implemented by ECOWAS, is a 1,028 km supranational motorway that forms a major part of the trans-African road network.
The corridor highway will link the main ports and urban areas of West Africa, namely Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, Cotonou, and Lomé.
On his part, the Chairman of the Committee of Experts, Engr. Ibi TERNA M., of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, called on all public and private stakeholders to participate in the realization of the noble vision to bring about a lasting transformation of the ECOWAS region’s economic landscape.
The three-day workshop brought together experts from the ECOWAS Department of Infrastructure, the ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU), the Canadian Pacific Consulting Services (CPCS), representatives of the Ministries of Infrastructure of the Corridor countries, and project focal points.
Other stakeholders include the African Development Bank, the European Union, UEMOA, the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO), the World Bank, JICA, AFEXIMBANK, Trade Mark Africa (TMA), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and the West African Development Bank (BOAD).
