Lagos-Abidjan Highway To Cost $2bn – ECOWAS

The ECOWAS Commission has said that the Lagos-Abidjan highway development project is estimated to cost $2 billion (about N328 billion).
Commissioner for Infrastructure at the commission, Mr Ebima Njie, said all ECOWAS member states and development partners would be involved in the funding of the project.
He made the disclosures in Abuja in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of a meeting of experts and development partners for the Lagos-Abidjan Corridor Highway Development Project.
The commissioner added that the experts meeting would focus on three core areas for the funding and realisation of the project.
“Until the design has been done properly, we cannot come up with a tangible figure but cost estimates, we are looking at 1 billion dollars to 2 billion dollars within that bracket in order to fund this project.
“The improvement and livelihood of our member states cannot be over-emphasised. The free movement within ECOWAS is there but this is another level whereby we can bring income generation within our member states.’’
Also speaking, Mike Onolememem, Nigeria’s Minister of Works, said that the project would facilitate free movement across borders in the West African sub-region.
Onolememem was represented by Mr Umunna Ekenna, Deputy Director, (Highways) Planning.
The minister said it was imperative that the project was actualised within the shortest possible time “to promote the economic growth of the West African sub-region’’.
“I have witnessed that regions around the world are pulling resources together towards creating opportunities to maximise the areas of strength for individual states within their regions.
“This is aimed at promoting division of labour in the production of goods and services which will improve service delivery by reducing cost of commodities due to competition and access to a wider market.
“Consequently, it is fundamental for us to actualise this project within the shortest possible time to pave the way to our economic prosperity which is long overdue bearing in mind the abundant natural and human resources within our region.’’