US$15 billion for West Africa road route

Construction is now underway in Benin for a key highway project that will form part of a new road route for West Africa. This stretch of the road will connect Benin’s capital, Porto Novo, with Nigeria’s economic centre, Lagos, one of the most important cities for the whole African economy. 

Costing up to US$15 billion in all, the new coastal route will provide a faster and more efficient road connection between Nigeria and Abidjan, capital of Côte d'Ivoire. This will be essential for economic development and transport in the West Africa region and will also pass through Togo and Ghana.

Construction is also underway for the stretches through Côte d'Ivoire, Togo and Ghana.

The 1,028km Lagos-Abidjan Corridor Highway Development Project is being managed jointly by five ECOWAS nations, Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire.

The new highway will also connect with Nigeria's new coastal route, providing a link all the way to Cameroon to the east.