SENIOR Presidential Advisor to government, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo says the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway project is high on the priority list of government and so “we keenly look forward to the day that the sod will be cut for the commencement of works.”
Ghana’s section of the project is 576km and traverses five regions.
The Senior Minister assured the Economic Community of West African States of the commitment of the government of Ghana to the successful implementation of the project, saying “we shall continue to discharge our responsibilities as required of member states.”
Mr Osafo-Maafo who was speaking on behalf of the Vice President , Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at the 19th Technical Experts and Ministering Steering Committee Meeting of the six lane supra highway said “this road is key in realising the full benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
“The integration of the rail infrastructure and industrial zones along the corridor will help the sub-region achieve the full potential of this highway project,” he added.
The project is a 1,028-kilometer road that connects five countries starting from Bingerville in Abidjan to Eric Moore in Lagos and is estimated to cost some $15bilion.
According to the Project Treaty signed by the five Heads of State and Governments, an Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA) will be established to construct, manage, and operate the six-lane Highway and related economic development activities.
The Presidential Advisor noted that the alignment of the road in Ghana largely through green fields was necessary to reduce the social impact, adding that “the proposal to bypass Accra and also to construct a 3km tunnel through the Akwapim Hills to avoid the extensive displacement of communities is commendable.”
Mr Osafo-Maafo reiterated that “the Government of Ghana places a high premium on the development of roads in the country. Roads are key to the socio-economic development of our country. It is for this reason that for the past seven years, the Government, under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has invested a lot in road construction and the results are visible throughout the country.”
He paid glowing commendation to “our hardworking Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, under whose watch the road infrastructure in Ghana has seen such a tremendous uplift.”
According to Mr Osafo-Maafo, the Minister’s dedication to duty and cooperation with every stakeholder in the road industry had resulted in the improvement of the country’s road condition mix.
On his part, the sector minister, Mr Amoako-Attah said Ghana had embarked on sensitization of communities along the proposed alignment for the highway project. The minister disclosed that “our chiefs and people are expectant of the project and cannot wait to see it implemented in their lifetime.”
The ECOWAS Commission envisions an integrated West African economy as part of the broader African Economic Integration plan espoused by the Agenda 2063 of the African Union. Thus, ECOWAS seeks to enhance infrastructure development, recognized as a principal supply chain infrastructure which is required to drive growth and economic integration.
