Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project

<p>The project is being implemented in accordance with the decision made by the Presidents of the five countries along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor in February 2014. This decision aims to construct a 6-lane (2x3) dual-carriage highway from Abidjan in C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire through Accra, Lom&eacute;, and Cotonou to Lagos in Nigeria. The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor spans approximately 1,080 km, connecting major economically dynamic cities in Africa, including Abidjan, Accra, Cotonou, Lom&eacute;, and Lagos, and covering a significant portion of West Africa's population. This corridor also links key seaports serving the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.</p>
<p>To ensure a comprehensive transformation of the transport corridor into an Economic Development Corridor, the program has been organized into several components:</p>
<p><strong>A. Feasibility Study and Environmental, Social Impact Assessment (ESIA):</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Conduct a feasibility study, including engineering, financial, and economic analysis.</li>
<li>Perform a detailed engineering design.</li>
<li>Assess PPP viability for investment and operations of the corridor.</li>
<li>Conduct a comprehensive impact assessment, including environmental and social implications, resettlement, and compensation.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>B. Detailed Engineering Design:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Develop a detailed engineering design to ensure safe and effective implementation of infrastructure, compliant with best practices and national requirements.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>C. Corridor Spatial Development Study:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Analyze the physical, technical, policy, economic, and market aspects of the corridor to create a realistic, market-feasible corridor investment masterplan. This plan will identify "anchor projects" to stimulate upstream and downstream investments, fostering an industrial cluster across various economic sectors such as transport, power, water, telecommunications, agriculture, and mining.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>D. Corridor Management Authority Establishment and Operations:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Finalize the legal framework and institutional structure, and establish the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Management Authority in line with the project Treaty.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>E. Trade and Transport Facilitation:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Review existing trade facilitation studies and policies along the corridor.</li>
<li>Develop a harmonized and simplified sub-regional transportation and transit system, including one-stop border management. This will involve ICT connectivity and information sharing among customs, immigration, and other border agencies at national and regional levels.</li>
<li>Initiate implementation.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>F. Technical Assistance Service to ECOWAS and Member States:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Provide capacity support to ECOWAS and member state agencies to manage all service delivery components. This includes consulting and advisory services, procuring office equipment, conducting project visibility (marketing) activities, and organizing regional workshops and platforms for multilateral coordination activities, such as JTC and JSC meetings and study validation workshops.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>G. Road Safety Audits:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Conduct a study on developing operational road safety systems, utilizing safe design practices and international standards during the design and operational phases to ensure the safety of all road users.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Project Oversight Responsibility:</strong> The Heads of State and Government established a Steering Committee comprising the Ministers of Works/Roads and the Commissioner for Infrastructure of the ECOWAS Commission. The Nigerian Minister in charge of Road Works was appointed as the Chair of the Steering Committee, with C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire designated as the Deputy Chair at the 6th Ministerial Steering Committee meeting.</p>
<p><strong>Executing Agency:</strong> The ECOWAS Commission, through its Department of Infrastructure, serves as the Executing Agency for the project, coordinating and facilitating its implementation on behalf of the Corridor Member States.</p>
<p><strong>Establishment of Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA):</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The institutional and legal framework study for the establishment of ALCoMA has been completed. The Intergovernmental Agreement establishing ALCoMA was validated by Corridor Member States and signed by the Ministers in charge of the Corridor project on 19th October 2018 in Abidjan, C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Current Status:</strong> Contracts commenced in February 2019 for the Feasibility and Detailed Engineering Design Studies for the entire 1,080 km stretch of the corridor.</p>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project (ALCHDP) aims to transform the Corridor into a homogeneous 6-lane supranational economic development corridor highway, featuring extensive trade and transport facilitation components and a uniform corridor management system. The project includes developing a dual carriage highway with standardized norms, dimensions, and management systems. The project-specific Treaty, signed by the Presidents of the five corridor countries, established a new Corridor Authority responsible for owning, constructing, managing, and operating the Corridor Highway.</p>
<p>The ongoing Feasibility & Detailed Design Studies are benchmarking the current status of the corridor, assessing existing or completed road sections, and planned interventions by governments and partners to develop a comprehensive design that meets the supranational dual carriage highway's standards and objectives. The design will recommend upgrades or improvements for completed sections, if necessary, to align with the agreed dimensions and standards of the multinational highway.</p>