The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Infrastructure Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU), Experts from Member States and other stakeholders workshop on the validation of the Draft Final Report for the study on the Dakar- Lagos Corridor missing links opens today, 6^th September, 2016 in Monrovia, Liberia.

Dr. Antoinette Weeks, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, ECOWAS Commission in her welcome address said that the study which will establish a complete inventory of the corridor missing links inhibiting the motorability of the corridor, aims at focusing resources on the rehabilitation of the road corridor which supports regional and inter-regional traffic flow and promotes trade within the sub-region. She added that the study will also determine an appropriate engineering solution for the upgrading of the entire corridor and undertake an economic, social and environmental appraisal for the consideration of various investment options.

The Minister of Public Works, Republic of Liberia, Honourable W. Gyudé Moore, in his remarks underscored the importance of the Dakar-Lagos Corridor to the development of the entire West African Region. He said that the construction and development of road infrastructure will boost Agriculture and other Trade activities within the sub-region.

The corridor which covers a distance of about 4500 kilometers connecting capitals of eleven ECOWAS Member States, is part of the Trans African Highway (TAH 7) Network with the ECOWAS Region and its development falls under the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). It also connects with other corridors on a north-south axis linking landlocked countries as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

The study which is being implemented by the ECOWAS PPDU, a specialized agency in charge of preparing bankable regional infrastructure projects and based in Lomé, Togo will also compliment and provide a solid foundation for the upcoming detailed engineering design on the Abidjan- Lagos (Phase I) and Dakar- Abidjan (Phase II) Highways.  .

The Dakar- Lagos Corridor is one of the seven (7) flagship priority projects selected to be implemented under the ECOWAS Community Development Programme (CDP).