Experts involved in the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Motorway Development Project are set to meet for the 22nd session of their Committee on December 16, 2025, in Lomé, Togo. The agenda includes sharing results from technical studies, discussing design options, and reviewing financing models for each of the fifteen concession lots that make up this cross-border motorway.
The meeting will also present the finalized trade and transport facilitation framework study. This study proposes measures for the short, medium, and long term to help ensure smooth movement of goods and people along the corridor.
Another topic is a presentation on the region’s economic potential. Experts will discuss proposals based on a spatial development initiatives study covering nearly 100 kilometers along the motorway. The study identifies about 206 projects grouped into twenty-six clusters. These include anchor projects, strategic infrastructure efforts, and activities aimed at increasing transport density and economic depth. These projects are intended to attract investors and be developed alongside the motorway using logistics platforms.
Christian Appiah, Director of Transport at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, said: “These studies and numerous other transport governance measures adopted at the regional level clearly demonstrate that the member states of the corridor, with the support of the regional organisation and the African Development Bank (AfDB), have a clear roadmap for making the Abidjan-Lagos road a major economic development axis for the region.”
On behalf of Dr Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Appiah called on technical and financial partners to support ECOWAS and its five member states involved in implementing this project: “He urged technical and financial partners to mobilise their support for the regional organisation and the five states of the Abidjan-Lagos corridor in the implementation of this visionary and innovative development project.”
Appiah also welcomed a recent recommendation from ECOWAS leaders: “He welcomed the recommendation of the ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government, held on the 14th of December 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria, inviting these partners to support the development projects of the ECOWAS corridor and its member states.”
The meeting included establishing a Board of Directors for the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA), which will oversee construction, management, and operation of this motorway.
Engineer Ebere Izunobi, Acting Director of Road Planning at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Works, opened proceedings by urging participants to consider all project details—especially financial aspects—when preparing recommendations for submission to Transport Ministers on December 19 in Lomé. These recommendations aim to enable launch of implementation phase.
The planned motorway is one of West Africa’s largest infrastructure projects. It will stretch over 1,028 kilometers connecting Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria—countries accounting for most commercial activity in West Africa. The estimated cost is around US$14.7 billion with funding expected from both public and private sources.
According to information from the official website, ECOWAS aims to promote cooperation among its members through harmonized policies in areas such as trade and transport. The organization coordinates regional integration efforts across West Africa by aligning economic frameworks among its member countries.
The completion of this motorway is seen as key to advancing regional integration within ECOWAS by facilitating free movement protocols for people and goods as well as strengthening trade cooperation between member states (source). This initiative aligns with broader strategies pursued by ECOWAS since its founding in 1975 (source).