Lome, Togo – The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has completed a three-day technical review of the draft Interim Report for the Trade and Transport Facilitation Study of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project.
This study aims to create a framework that will allow the corridor highway to operate under a single customs regime with no borders and no need for travelers or traders to stop at borders for passport stamping. Additionally, the framework will include a corridor-wide automated third-party insurance scheme, known as the “ECOWAS Brown Card,” for cross-border vehicles.
The workshop, chaired by Eng. Ibi Terna, Director of Highway Planning and Development at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Works, brought together representatives from Member States in various sectors, including Roads and Highways, Immigration, Free Movement, Customs, and Trade. International stakeholders and development partners interested in the free movement of goods, services, persons, and transport also participated.
The goal was to agree on a framework that would guide the movement of trade, persons, vehicles, and services along the new Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway without creating unjustified impediments.
Mr. Chris Appiah, Acting Director of Transport for ECOWAS, highlighted the vision of the corridor treaty signed by the Heads of State and Government of the five corridor countries. He explained that the corridor highway is intended not only to facilitate transportation but also to promote economic activities in manufacturing, industrialization, tourism, and agriculture around the corridor, thereby boosting cross-border trade.
To ensure the recommendations by the consultants are practical and aligned with international best practices, experts from the five corridor member countries, the African Development Bank, and other development partners participated in the review.
The technical studies for this regional flagship infrastructure development project are being financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), with contributions from the European Union and the ECOWAS Commission. The corridor countries also contributed $1.4 million each to the technical studies and project preparation activities. The countries are Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
