US$15 billion West African highway link

Construction work is due to commence for the new highway linking Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire in 2026. The highway will run for a total distance of 1,028km and connect Nigeria’s commercial centre, Lagos, with the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan.

Plans are moving ahead for the project, with a portion of the funding being provided by The African Development Bank (AfDB). The route runs through Ghana, Benin and Togo.

The project will also help deliver economic growth and stability to the nations along the route, all of which are members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In addition to sourcing much of the financing needed, the AfDB has been assisting with the necessary feasibility studies and management procedures required.

The construction work includes building an additional 144km of asphalt surfaced road in Côte d’Ivoire, 520km in Ghana, 90km in Togo, 127km in Benin, and 82km in Nigeria. There will also be 63 new interchanges being built. For much of the route, the highway will feature two lanes in either direction, with three lanes in either direction as it passes major cities. However, in Lagos the route will feature four lanes in either direction.

Plans for the project have been hit by one major roadblock however. Three nations, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have announced that they will leave the ECOWAS group of nations.

Meanwhile, the Côte d’Ivoire Government is budgeting $1.07 billion to build 1,922km of roads during 2025, while 993km of existing roads will benefit from resurfacing. The work is being managed by Road Management Agency, Ageroute.