Technical experts, engineers, and specialists from the ECOWAS Commission and its agencies, along with development partners and representatives from Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Member States, convened for a three-day workshop in Abidjan. The purpose was to validate the Draft Final Report of the Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) Study for the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project.
The study revealed a potential $6.8 billion investment aimed at stimulating economic growth and enhancing the viability of the corridor highway. It aims to identify and unlock short, medium, and long-term economic potential through various projects that will generate trade volumes and traffic.
A consortium consisting of CPCS, Holland & Hausberge, and Comete used an SDI approach to pinpoint infrastructure interventions within a 200km radius of the corridor. These interventions are expected to attract private sector investments in sectors such as oil and gas, agriculture, wildlife, fisheries, and tourism.
Projects were categorized into 'Economic Anchor' Projects (industries), 'Strategic Infrastructure' Projects (roads), and 'Densification' Projects. Notable anchor projects include Nigeria's Remo Economic Industrial Cluster; Benin's Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone; Togo's Adétikopé Industrial Zone Cluster; Ghana's Greater Kumasi Industrial City; and Côte d’Ivoire’s PK 24 Industrial Hub.
The exercise resulted in identifying 26 project clusters comprising 78 shortlisted projects along with 120 deepening projects. Of these projects, 27 are investment-ready with an estimated value of $6.8 billion.
Experts also toured tolled bridges in Abidjan to gain insights for implementing a tolling strategy on the corridor highway. The final draft reports were validated by member states during this gathering. This validation signifies their commitment alongside ECOWAS Commission support towards implementing SDI initiatives designed to drive economic growth and foster regional integration.
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