Private Sector Investment Key to West Africa’s Coastal Highway Project

The $15.6 billion Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway, a transformative project aimed at boosting trade and regional integration across West Africa, will require $6.8 billion in private-sector investment, according to a report revealed during an AfDB workshop. Spanning 1,028 kilometers, the highway will connect Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, facilitating trade and linking major urban hubs like Abidjan, Accra, and Lagos. Construction, which is expected to create 70,000 jobs, will begin in 2026 and finish by 2030. The project, designed as a toll-free road with up to eight lanes in Lagos, will rely heavily on public-private partnerships. Beyond improving transportation, the highway is envisioned as an economic corridor, driving industrialization and regional development in key sectors such as energy, ICT, and agriculture. The initiative aligns with ECOWAS’ regional integration goals, addressing the needs of a growing urban population expected to reach 173 million by 2050.

SOURCE: NAIRAMETRICS