ECOWAS representative in Côte d’Ivoire Dr Khare Diouf joined a monitoring visit to the Cavally River bridge at Prollo, where reports showed progress on the Liberian bank but difficulties on the Ivorian side.
The visit formed part of a mission organised from 27 to 29 October 2026 by the Office of the Minister of State for African Integration and Ivorians Abroad, according to a report from the Economic Community of West African States.
It allowed Diouf, who took up his post on 1 September 2026, to assess progress on the project linking Côte d’Ivoire to Liberia and to discuss with stakeholders the conditions for continuing the works.
The delegation began with a courtesy visit to Yao Kouakou Firmin, Prefect of the Tabou department, before a technical visit to the site on both the Ivorian and Liberian sides of the river.
Participants included Dr Kazilé Timothée, technical adviser to the Deputy Minister responsible for African Integration and Ivorians Abroad, the representative of the Liberian Ministry of Infrastructure, and representatives from AGEROUTE, the Côte d’Ivoire Transport Flow Observatory (OFT) and Côte d’Ivoire Énergies (CI-Énergies).
SCEGC Ltd, the contractor responsible for the works, and the supervision firm AIM Consultants Ltd presented the project’s progress and the difficulties encountered.
On the Ivorian bank, the reports noted that despite clearance of the right-of-way and compensation paid to affected communities, works continue to be hampered by supply constraints linked to rising water levels and operational difficulties with the ferry.
Technical obstacles to drilling certain piles in the riverbed were also reported.
Discussions centred on potential technical solutions, improving the transfer of materials between the two banks, and monitoring the settlement of accounts.
The Prefect invited the contractor to present, by the end of November, the measures envisaged to facilitate the continuation of the works, in particular the construction of the temporary bridge.
As part of the project’s supporting measures, CI-Énergies reported that cabling work had been completed and announced that electricity supply would commence in the first week of November 2026.
On the sidelines of the mission, the delegation, led by the Prefect of Tabou, took part in a ceremony to hand over the keys to a three-classroom building donated by the OFT to the headteacher of Prollo State Primary School.
The mission’s findings will form the basis for consultations between ECOWAS and stakeholders on the continuation of the works and the conditions required to set a date for the foundation-laying ceremony.
The infrastructure is described by ECOWAS as intended to strengthen connectivity between Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia and to facilitate cross-border trade, thereby promoting regional integration.
Comments