Road ministers from five West African states endorsed the first sections of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Highway for construction, moving a long-studied six-lane supranational route toward building work.
The Ministerial Steering Committee of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project met in Lomé, Togo, on 30 October 2026, bringing together ministers, engineers, senior officials and development partners from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
According to a report from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the meeting addressed the phasing of construction, Right of Way acquisition and mobilisation of financing.
Engr. David Nweze Umahi, Nigeria’s Minister of Public Works and Chairman of the Steering Committee, told the meeting that the collective efforts of the five member states needed to be harmonised to drive the next phase of the project.
Ministers from Ghana, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin spoke about the economic transformation they expect the corridor to bring to the region and renewed their commitment to advancing the project to the construction phase.
They urged ALCoMA, ECOWAS, the African Development Bank, country engineers and other stakeholders to prioritise support for member states in raising the resources needed to cover Right of Way acquisition and debt and equity contributions for construction.
Engr.
Amin Amidu Sulemani, the ECOWAS Commission’s Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, urged the ministers to lead efforts toward construction, saying the study phase had taken too long and that citizens of West Africa could not wait any longer for the benefits of the new highway and its complementary economic activities.
He said financing remains a critical priority as the project moves toward construction, and that ECOWAS, the AfDB, EBID and partners are exploring innovative mechanisms to develop the whole corridor.
The committee welcomed recent developments within the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA), the supranational body mandated to oversee the design, construction and operation of the corridor.
Earlier this year, ALCoMA’s Board appointed Wilfried Lauriano do Rego of Benin as its first Chairperson, in line with the alphabetical rotation mechanism established under the Intergovernmental Agreement.
The Board also created interim committees on Human Resources and Remuneration and on Finance to accelerate operational readiness during the start-up phase and to undertake recruitment of the Chief Executive Officer, directors and other staff.
The ministers noted that the AfDB has provided ALCoMA’s start-up operational funds, while the EU and other partners have expressed interest in contributing as well.
The ministers also noted the outcomes of a joint African Development Bank Group–ECOWAS–EBID identification mission held earlier this year to secure country endorsements for the corridor’s financing phase.
The mission engaged ministers responsible for infrastructure, finance and public works across the five countries, with the source describing it as underscoring the urgency of securing adequate capital for construction and land acquisition.
The African Development Bank Group, designated by the Steering Committee as mandatory lead arranger for the project’s investment phase, assured ministers that in addition to the more than $25 million provided for feasibility and design studies and technical assistance, it is pursuing about $500 million in catalytic capital from the ADF-17 Regional Operations envelope and other instruments, including climate and green resources, to commence construction of the first set of sections.
The ministers commended financing partners who showed interest at a funds mobilisation meeting held on 28 October 2026 and urged all to come behind the AfDB and other regional development banks to raise the capital needed for construction.
The ministers underscored the strategic importance of the planned six-lane, 1,028-km supranational highway and tasked ALCoMA and ECOWAS with ensuring that sea ports and capital cities bypassed by the route are well connected, so that the corridor serves as a key link to major economic hubs from Abidjan to Lagos and as a backbone for regional trade integration.
The Steering Committee endorsed the operationalisation of ALCoMA, including recruitment of its Chief Executive Officer, Legal and Corporate Secretary and key directors as outlined in the Authority’s roadmap.
Under the Corridor Treaty, the highway is to be built and operated as a unified corridor under the coordinated management of ALCoMA.
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