Abuja, 18^th July, 2017.

The Draft Final Institutional Design, Legal Framework as well as the Communication Materials for the Abidjan – Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA), have been validated in Abuja, Nigeria on the 15^th July, 2017.

The validation was accomplished at a two-Day final Workshop organized to review the Study on the Institutional and Legal Framework for Corridor Management and Communication Advisory Consultancy Services for the early stage preparation of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor (ALC) Highway Development Programme.

The Workshop agreed that in accordance with Article 2 of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Treaty signed by the Presidents of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor highway development Project, ALCoMA will play a full managerial role in the affairs of the Corridor in contrast to the advisory roles of most counterpart Corridor Management Committees.

It was also agreed that in order to stay within the limits of funding available for the establishment of the Corridor Management Authority, the initial cost of implementation would have to be rolled out in a phased approach based on the primary functions required at the development stages of the Corridor due to the financial implications of establishing the ideal structure for ALCoMA.

The ALCoMA Headquarters will be located in one of the five Corridor States in line with the ECOWAS Regulation regarding hosting of Regional Agencies which include, among others, conformance with the ECOWAS Principles of Constitutional convergence and the provision of a fully equipped Headquarters at the host Country’s Expense.

Regarding the legal documentation and instruments for the creation of the supranational Corridor Management Authority, Participants reviewed, commented and accepted the revised versions of the legal documents, pending the incorporation of minor amendments agreed. The legal documents are Intergovernmental Agreement for the creation of ALCoMA, International Project Agreement, Rules of Procedure for ALCoMA and sample Enabling Legislation to help Member States undertake ratification of the Intergovernmental Agreement and other related Documents.

The Communications and Public Relations’ tools including a video documentary, a corridor logo, brochures and flyers, were also endorsed as an instrument of creating awareness and the generation support of the ECOWAS authorities and community citizens for a successful implementation of the Project.

Before the Workshop ended, the Head Deutsche Gesellschaft fur International Zusammenabeit (GIZ) Support to PIDA Programme, Mrs. Anna Waldmann, called on ECOWAS Legal and Road Infrastructure experts to focus on the expected benefits of the project in order to maintain the momentum towards its realization.

By the same token, the Manager, African Development Bank (AfDB)’s Regional Integration Department, Mr. Mamady Souare  reassured participants of AfDB’s continued support for the Corridor States in the implementation of the Project.

In her closing remarks the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Dr. Antoinette Weeks expressed delight at the commitment of the participants to the Workshop.

Apart from GIZ and AfDB, other Development Partners who participated in the Workshop there were also on hand, the Infrastructure and Energy Department of the African Union Commission, Legal and Road Infrastructure experts from the five Corridor States, NEPAD, Gauff Engineering Consultants, ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU) as well as experts from the ECOWAS Commission.