Economic Community of West African States

<p>In June 2017, the Heads of State and Government of Cape Verde, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire signed a Treaty to establish the Dakar-Abidjan Corridor. This Treaty was further supported by the adoption of Supplementary Act A/SA.3/06/17 during the 51st Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Monrovia, Liberia. The agreement outlines the development of the Corridor through the following key actions:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Establish the Dakar-Abidjan Corridor</strong> and a Corridor Management Authority with Supra-National Status.</li>
<li><strong>Construct and manage a 6-lane Dual Carriage Multinational Highway (2x3)</strong>, as detailed in the International Project Agreement.</li>
<li>Implement complementary trade and transport facilitation measures linking Dakar to Abidjan, passing through Banjul, Bissau, Conakry, Freetown, and Monrovia, including potential extensions, expansions, and additional transportation modes as agreed by the Contracting Parties.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Objectives of the Corridor Development:</strong> According to Article 3 of the Corridor Development Treaty, the objectives are:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Facilitate safe and efficient movement of persons and goods</strong> and enhance regional and international trade by improving road infrastructure and simplifying and harmonizing controls and requirements. This aims to reduce transportation costs and transit times.</li>
<li><strong>Stimulate economic and social development</strong> within the territories of the contracting parties, fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors.</li>
<li><strong>Transform the Corridor into a Development Corridor</strong>, providing secure, fast, and competitive transport and transit services to support regional trade. This includes stimulating investment, promoting sustainable development, reducing poverty, and ensuring security along the corridor.</li>
<li><strong>Implement strategies for accelerating economic and social growth</strong>, while ensuring environmental sustainability.</li>
</ol>
<p>To achieve these objectives, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Department of Infrastructure, is preparing various components of the comprehensive corridor development program. In addition to the Highway, Articles 6 (2) & (3) of the Treaty call for the development of integrated transportation infrastructure, including Rail, Maritime, and Air Transport. Provisions are also made for future expansions, such as Optic Fibre Networks, Gas Pipelines, and other utilities as needed.</p>
<p>The ECOWAS Commission is thus planning a broader intervention known as the PRAIA-DAKAR-ABIDJAN CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.</p>

<p>Cabo Verde is the only Island Country in the ECOWAS Community. Several Summits of ECOWAS Authority Heads of State and Government have called for projects and policies to strengthen the physical integration of Cabo Verde to the markets and economies of other mainland ECOWAS. A priority in the ECOWAS Infrastructure Development Master Plan is therefore to establish an efficient and effective Shipping and Maritime Service from the Ports of Cabo Verde to Dakar and other aligning Ports of Member States. In support of this, the governments of the Republic of Senegal and the Republic of Cabo Verde signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 28 April 2015 to confirm the willingness of both governments to assess opportunities to improve bilateral trade. In order to promote increased commercial activity, both countries intend to invest in shipping infrastructure. In this context, the establishment of a regular maritime link between the two countries could promote maritime transport and intensify trade. The Praia-Dakar Maritime Transport Service is part of of the Praia Dakar-Abidjan Corridor Development Program, as well as more than 3,500 kilometres Highway from Dakar and Abidjan in C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire, crosses five (5) other West African countries (Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia). This corridor was also identified as one of PIDA's main priority projects and labelled as Trans-African Highway 7 (TAH 7) which was to link THE TAH 8 that stretches from Lagos through Yaounde, Bangui, Kampala and Nairobi to the port city of Mombasa in Kenya, East Africa. </p>

<p>Construction of Pogo/Zegoua One-Stop Border Post between Cote d&#39;Ivoire and Mali.</p>

<p>Construction of Ouidah/Hillacondji/Sanveekondji One-Stop Border Post between Togo and Benin. This part of the project relates specifically to the facilities in Togo.</p>

<p>The project, located in Guinea, aims to regulate the Senegal River in four countries via a multipurpose dam.</p>

<p>Construction of Noépé One-Stop Border Post along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor (between Ghana and Togo).</p>

<p>The AXIS Project aims to facilitate the development of an African internet infrastructure through policy and regulatory reform, capacity building and technical assistance. Development of an African internet infrastructure refers to the establishment of regional internet exchange points (IXPs) and internet carriers.</p>

<p>The AXIS Project is being implemented through two phases. Phase I consists of capacity building to support the establishment of national IXPs through providing a series of two workshops for stakeholders and the Internet Service Provider Association (ISPA) on  I) best practice and benefits of IXP and II) technical assistance through workshops which will cover the technical and administrative skills needed to set up, operate, and administer an IXP.</p>

<p>Phase II focuses on supporting establishment of Regional IXP and Regional Internet Carrier through provisioning Capacity building workshops on best practice and benefits of setting up RIXP/IC and providing technical assistance.</p>

<p>The AXIS Project is a flagship project of the African Regional Action Plan on Knowledge Economy (ARAPKE) endorsed by the African Union Executive Council.</p>

The project entails the construction of the Nigeria section of the Nigeria - Algeria gas pipeline from Calabar in Nigeria to the Niger border.

The project entails the construction of the Niger section of the Nigeria - Algeria gas pipeline from the border with Nigeria to the border with Algeria.