Five West African countries have held more talks on a long-discussed $15 billion highway linking Nigeria and Cote d 'Ivoire, bringing in Benin, Togo and Ghana on the Gulf of Guinea. The 1,028-kilometer-long road will form the backbone of the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, a major economic development project.

The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project Ministerial Steering Committee held its 19th meeting in Accra, Ghana, from 16 to 19 May to discuss accelerating technical research, financing and land acquisition.

Ghanaian Vice President Mahamudu baumia said the speedy implementation of the project was essential for the economic development of the region, especially after the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. With most of the preparatory work, such as feasibility and preliminary design studies, completed, it is now time for the five countries to become more committed to launching this difficult project.

Over the past 10 years, the steering committee has been working on issues such as the legal framework for highways, the harmonization of technical standards and possible financing routes. The Economic Community of West African States is also promoting the project.

Douka added, however, that funding remains an issue. We have been calling on public and private investors to accompany these countries and the Economic Community of West African States in this visionary venture. In terms of resource mobilization, it should be noted that ECOWAS has just adopted a new regulatory framework for public-private partnerships, which is an incentive for the private sector to enter large-scale investment. Currently, groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2025.Editor/XingWentao