Abidjan–Lagos Highway: New Governance Structure for the 1,028 km Project

Momentum is building around one of West Africa’s most transformative infrastructure projects: the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor. On February 19 and 20 in Abidjan, the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) organized a strategic orientation session for the ten members of the newly established Board of Directors of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA).

The objective was to lay the operational foundations for a supranational governance framework tasked with overseeing a 1,028-kilometer highway linking five major economies: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.

Officially installed and sworn in December 2025 during the 22nd ministerial steering committee meeting of the project, ALCoMA’s Board of Directors has now entered its technical and institutional consolidation phase. The session provided an opportunity to revisit the corridor treaty, its integrated vision, and its supranational status—endorsed by the Heads of State of the five participating countries.

Beyond the legal framework—covering the treaty, intergovernmental agreements, and the draft international agreement—the board members conducted an initial review of the Authority’s rules of procedure, institutional charter, and recruitment process for the Director General, board members, and technical staff. This marks a crucial step toward strengthening the Authority’s credibility and reassuring financial partners about the robustness of its governance.

The orientation session was not limited to institutional matters. Board members were also introduced to the project’s economic dimensions, including trade and transport facilitation, spatial development, value chain structuring, logistics systems, and anchor economic hubs. The ambition is clear: to position the corridor as a catalyst for industrialization and regional integration.

AfDB Takes the Lead in Financial Mobilization

For the AfDB Group, the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor represents a high-impact, transformative initiative. Mike Salawou, Director of the Infrastructure and Urban Development Department, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to serving as the mandated lead arranger, alongside the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), to structure and mobilize the necessary financing.

The Bank has already provided substantial technical assistance and mobilized billions of dollars in support of the project, despite a regional context marked by fiscal constraints and heightened demands for economic viability.

By 2030, the Abidjan–Lagos Highway aims to become the economic and industrial backbone of West Africa. By connecting major economic capitals and strategic ports along the Gulf of Guinea, the corridor is expected to boost intra-regional trade, reduce transit times, and enhance the attractiveness of the territories it crosses.

The establishment and progressive empowerment of ALCoMA’s Board of Directors therefore mark a decisive institutional turning point for this flagship regional project.