The programme marks a key step in operationalising the body responsible for overseeing one of Africa\u2019s most ambitious regional infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Held on February 19 and 20, the session followed the Board\u2019s official inauguration in December 2025 during the 22nd Ministerial Steering Committee meeting of the Abidjan\u2011Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The highway, stretching 1 028 kilometres, is expected to link C\u00f4te d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria, serving as a major driver of trade, industrialisation and economic integration by 2030.<\/p>\n
Participants were briefed on the Corridor Treaty, which sets out the project\u2019s supranational status and strategic vision endorsed by the Heads of State of the five participating countries. The agenda also included findings from technical studies, presentations on transport facilitation, logistics systems, regional value chains, and anchor economic hubs expected to emerge along the route.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Board members reviewed the institutional and legal frameworks governing the project, including draft international instruments establishing both the highway and its management authority. They also assessed the Board\u2019s rules of procedure and discussed recruitment plans for the Director General and technical personnel.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Leading the ECOWAS delegation, Chris Appiah, Director of Transport, emphasised the importance of the integrated corridor model, which combines infrastructure development with wider socio\u2011economic goals. He urged stakeholders \u201cto spare no effort\u201d in moving the project towards delivery, saying a seamless cross\u2011border highway will accelerate regional growth and improve mobility for millions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mike Salawou, Director for Infrastructure and Urban Development at the African Development Bank, reaffirmed the Bank\u2019s role as lead arranger for the project\u2019s financing. He said the Bank will work with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development and other partners to mobilise the capital required. \u201cOur fellow citizens are waiting for us to move along this corridor, to carry out their socioeconomic activities and facilitate trade,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Delegates also visited Abidjan\u2019s recently completed fourth bridge, a major AfDB\u2011supported project that has eased congestion for residents of Yopougon. The Bank mobilised about $708 million for the bridge, with additional support from Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Global Environment Facility.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–AfDB\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":26997,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-26996","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have concluded a two\u2011day orientation session in Abidjan for the newly sworn\u2011in Board of Directors of the Abidjan\u2011Lagos Corridor Management Authority. ","published_date":null,"news_description":"The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have concluded a two\u2011day orientation session in Abidjan for the newly sworn\u2011in Board of Directors of the Abidjan\u2011Lagos Corridor Management Authority. ","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/26996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/26996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27283,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/26996\/revisions\/27283"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=26996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}