The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has announced plans to mobilize $15 billion in collaboration with other institutions for the construction of the Lagos-Abidjan Highway. This critical infrastructure project, overseen by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), aims to enhance regional connectivity and bolster trade within West Africa.
Speaking in Abuja during the 90th birthday celebration of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, Adesina highlighted the importance of the highway, stating that it will handle 80% of the region’s trade upon completion. The project is expected to significantly improve transportation links between Nigeria and other West African nations, strengthening economic ties.
“The African Development Bank is also supporting the development of the Kano-Maradi railway line, connecting Nigeria to Niger Republic,” Adesina added. “We have provided $12.6 million to ECOWAS to conduct a feasibility study for the Lagos-Abidjan corridor highway. Together with other institutions, we are working to mobilize the necessary funds to finance this corridor.”
In addition to the Lagos-Abidjan Highway, Adesina outlined several other infrastructure investments made by the AfDB to promote economic growth in Nigeria and across Africa. These include: Raising $300 million for the Enugu-Cameroon Highway and investing $40 million in the Lekki toll road to ease congestion and reduce transport costs in Lagos.
Over the past eight years, the AfDB has committed over $55 billion to infrastructure projects across the continent, including roads, highways, seaports, airports, and ICT infrastructure. One such project is the $389.3 million investment in the Enugu-Bamenda Highway, which connects Nigeria to Cameroon, serving a population of 11 billion people. The AfDB also invested $49.5 million in the Lekki toll road to improve traffic flow and lower transportation costs.
The Lagos-Abidjan Highway, a 1,068-kilometer corridor, will traverse five West African nations—Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire—and pass through eight border towns, beginning at Eric Moore in Lagos and ending in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. This project, one of the largest infrastructure undertakings in West Africa, is expected to carry over 500,000 passengers daily and significantly boost trade, tourism, and economic activity throughout the region.
The highway forms part of the broader Dakar-Lagos Corridor, a flagship project of ECOWAS aimed at enhancing regional economic integration and development.
