The African Development Bank has approved €12.33 million ($13.3 million) to help the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission complete work related to the Abidjan-Lagos motorway corridor project in Africa.
This 1,028-kilometer (638-mile) corridor connects the major economic centers of five member countries, as well as some of Africa’s major cities, serving as an important regional trade and transport corridor. Its purpose is to strengthen trade and integration in West Africa, in particular by providing maritime port access to landlocked countries, according to the African Development Bank.
The transport sector in West Africa plays an essential role in the economic development of the region and generates around 5 percent to 8 percent of its gross domestic product. The Abidjan-Lagos axis accounts for almost 75 percent of subregional commercial activities.
In March 2014, the ECOWAS Commission, on behalf of the five member countries, request
