ECOWAS, in its 50th year as a regional economic community, recently hosted a three-day workshop in Cotonou, Benin. The event focused on the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project and aimed to validate recommendations for improved trade and transport facilitation along this route. Participants at the workshop called for high-level political support to address challenges such as obstacles and excessive checkpoints that hinder intra-regional trade and movement.
The workshop was organized by the Transport Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission from January 29 to January 31, 2025. It sought to review diagnostic reports and recommendations from a Trade and Transport Facilitation Study related to the highway project.
A significant part of the project's preparatory phase involves creating a comprehensive strategy for seamless movement along the corridor. This strategy will align with regional, continental, and international agreements to reduce border delays, harassment, non-tariff barriers, and multiple checks. The framework aims to fully operationalize regional measures like the new Transit Procedure replacing the previous Inter-state Road Transit Scheme. Other goals include improving cross-border transportation regulation, standardizing customs procedures, digitalizing systems such as the ECOWAS Brown Card application for cross-border vehicles.
Attendees included project managers, technical experts, government officials from corridor member states' relevant ministries and departments. Also present were representatives from ECOWAS Commission directorates including Transport, Trade, Customs & Taxation, Free Movement & Migration. Major stakeholders such as the African Development Bank—the main financier—along with EU representatives participated.
Mr. Chris Appiah, Director of Transport at ECOWAS Commission stated that once completed "the Corridor Trade and Transport Facilitation framework will contain a comprehensive set of measures" enhancing intra-regional trade under ECOWAS's integration agenda while positioning member states advantageously under African Continental Free Trade Agreement terms.
The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor spans approximately 1,028 km connecting key West African cities: Abidjan Accra Cotonou Lomé Lagos serving landlocked countries Burkina Faso Mali Niger through dynamic seaports facilitating economic integration within ECOWAS reducing poverty levels via enhanced transport modes promoting social economic activities across regions contributing significantly towards sustainable development goals envisioned by stakeholders involved in this ambitious initiative aiming better future prospects citizens reliant upon these crucial networks livelihoods depend upon daily basis essential infrastructure improvements necessary ongoing progress achieved long-term vision realization collective efforts collaborative partnerships invested interests shared common objectives ultimate success story unfolding gradually yet surely over time ahead lies promising horizon beckoning hopeful anticipation eager await positive outcomes materialize fruition endeavors undertaken diligently 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