Nigeria Backs Lagos-Abidjan Highway with Higher Standards

The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to the Lagos-Abidjan corridor project, a 1,028-kilometer highway designed to connect Nigeria with four other West African countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. During a high-level meeting with ECOWAS and the African Development Bank in Abuja, Minister of Works David Umahi stressed the importance of adhering to higher design standards, noting that Nigeria's portion of the corridor will be 79.5 kilometers and constructed to significantly higher standards than the original ECOWAS proposal.

Umahi criticized unresolved technical and political issues surrounding the project and emphasized the need for a political consensus before moving forward with funding and procurement. He indicated that Nigeria is developing its own design blueprint to address local realities and existing infrastructure obstacles.

The project is seen as vital for enhancing regional trade and economic integration, linking Nigeria's infrastructure with neighboring countries.