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Planned Transnational Highway Would Connect 5 African Nations
March 4, 2024
CategoryAfrica Central
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/Script((INTRO))
[[West African nations are pushing for the construction of a major highway network connecting five countries from the Ivory Coast to Nigeria. The African Development Bank says the project will be an economic engine for all the countries involved. Senanu Tord reports from Accra, Ghana.]]
((NARRATOR))
Nii Annan Ofori is a traditional leader and the custodian of land in the Ga East traditional area just outside Ghana’s capital of Accra. His community has been marked for the construction of portions of the 1028-kilometer-long Abidjan-Lagos corridor. A three-kilometer highway tunnel will run through this community.
((Nii Annan Ofori, Ga East Traditional Chief)) ((English 19 secs))
“Having a tunnel in your area, which is one of the first in West Africa, is going to increase the value of our area; the lands, and so on, and many people would like to invest in that area”
((NARRATION))
The Corridor is a transnational highway project aimed at connecting five West African countries: Ivory Coast through Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.
The ultimate objective according to the Economic Community of West African States or ECOWAS is to provide jobs and create a fast-moving economic corridor between the nations.
((NARRATOR))
The project was initiated in 2013 by all 5 countries and has gone through a series of studies and evaluations to develop a 6-lane highway design. It will connect the most economically viable cities, ports, and airports in the sub-region.
[[Radio Track: Efua Effah is with the Ghana Ministry of Roads and Highways)) ((English))
((Efua Effah, Ghana Ministry of Roads and Highways))
“The whole project objective is looking at how we integrate the economies of the West African community. We are looking at improving cross-border trade and then looking at improving economic and social activities between the communities in the corridor”
((NARRATOR))
There are still issues to be worked out including ways to run one highway across multiple countries with diverse language systems and legal frameworks.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) say construction on the project could begin as early as 2025.
[[RADIO: Chris Appiah, is the Acting Director of Transport at ECOWAS]]
((Chris Appiah – ECOWAS Acting Director of Transport) ((English 17 secs))
((Courtesy: Zoom))
"The whole of 2024, we will be on the market looking for money. If it so happens that a section attracts financing immediately, nothing stops us from starting”
((NARRATOR))
The plan envisions future connections to other countries, creating a continent-wide network of 9 highways spanning from Cairo to Cape Town and from Dakar to Djibouti. The next step, according to ECOWAS, is to connect Dakar to the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.
((Senanu Tord, VOA News, Accra Ghana))
