Members of the ECOWAS Ministerial Commission and technical experts tasked to supervise the implementation of the Abidjan-Lagos Highway project, have begun a three-day meeting in Accra, to finalise modalities for the project.
The 19th Technical Experts meeting, is also expected to discuss bottlenecks towards addressing all issues before the project commences.
The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project, is a 1,028-kilometre road that would connect five countries, starting from Lagos, Nigeria, through Benin, Togo, Ghana to Abidjan, in Cote d’Ivoire.
It seeks to enhance infrastructure development, recognised as a principal supply chain infrastructure, which is required to drive economic growth in the West African sub region.
The project which is in its study phase,’is expected to connect dynamic seaport infrastructure, which service the region’s landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway project is a six-lane (3-lane dual) carriage standardised 1, 028km long highway, which is part of the Dakar-Lagos Trans African Highway, linking a number of densely populated and economically vibrant cities and seaports in West Africa.
The preparation and technical studies of the project is being funded by the African Development Bank, European Union and the ECOWAS Commission, and expected to generate economic and social activities and promote cross border trade.
The proposed alignment of the highway consists of three lots.
Lot one (295 m): Côted’Ivoire (Abidjan-Bassam-Noé) – Ghana (Elubo- Apimanim Junction).
Lot two (466 km): Ghana (Apimanim-Cape Coast – Accra- Sogakope -Akanu).
Lot three (320 km): Togo (Noépé-Agoméglozou) – Benin (Athiémé-Cotonou-Sémé-Kraké andNigeria (Sémé-Badagry-Lagos).
Ghana has the longest section of the highway corridor with a total of 567km, which is more than 50 per cent of the entire 1,082km corridor highway and stretches from Aflao to Elubo.
The Chief Director at the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Alhaji Awullo Abass, on behalf of the sector Minister, Akwasi Amoako-Atta, said Ghana has concluded all arrangements towards making the project a success.
He indicated that much community sensitisation has been done, and expressed optimism that the parties and communities that would be affected by the project, would support the ECOWAS Commission to implement a laudable project that would help transform the Sub region and the African continent.
The Chairman of the Committee of Experts of ECOWAS, Mr TernaIbi, said the project would transform the continent towards boosting the economic competiveness of member states.
He commended the ECOWAS Commission for supporting such laudable initiatives, and urged the experts to use the meeting to take far-reaching decisions that would help transform the continent.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
