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0 News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, Roger A. Agana, https://newsghana.com.gh/ecowas-pushes-for-political-backing-to-unlock-trade-potential-on-abidjan-lagos-highway/
As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) marks its 50th anniversary in 2025, regional leaders are confronting persistent barriers to trade and free movement that continue to undermine its vision of integration.
During a three-day technical workshop in Cotonou, Benin, delegates from member states and key stakeholders rallied for urgent political intervention to dismantle excessive checkpoints, bureaucratic delays, and non-tariff barriers plaguing critical trade corridors like the Abidjan-Lagos Highway.
Hosted by the ECOWAS Transport Directorate from January 29–31, 2025, the workshop aims to finalize a draft Trade and Transport Facilitation (TTF) strategy designed to streamline the movement of goods, vehicles, and people across the 1,028-kilometer corridor. The proposed framework aligns with regional and international trade agreements, emphasizing the need to operationalize reforms such as harmonized customs procedures, digitalized ECOWAS Brown Card systems for cross-border vehicles, and the replacement of outdated transit protocols with modernized processes.
“This corridor isn’t just a road—it’s the backbone of West Africa’s economic future,” declared ECOWAS Transport Director Chris Appiah during his opening address. He stressed that the six-lane Abidjan-Lagos Highway, once completed, must be paired with robust policy measures to eliminate harassment at borders, reduce transit times, and integrate economies. The project, partially funded by the African Development Bank and the EU, seeks to transform the corridor—which links five major cities (Abidjan, Accra, Cotonou, Lomé, and Lagos) and serves landlocked nations like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—into a catalyst for poverty reduction and intra-regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
Delegates underscored the urgency of enforcing existing ECOWAS treaties, many of which already mirror global best practices but suffer from inconsistent implementation. Recommendations include stricter adherence to protocols on cross-border transportation, standardized customs digitization, and the removal of redundant checkpoints that inflate costs for traders. Private sector groups like Borderless Alliance and the ECOWAS Brown Card Secretariat echoed concerns, citing losses from delays and corruption at borders.
The Abidjan-Lagos Highway project, envisioned as a supranational artery flanked by economic hubs, promises to connect bustling seaports with hinterland markets, fostering job creation and regional supply chains. Yet, as Appiah noted, “Infrastructure alone won’t integrate West Africa. Political will is the missing link.” With 2025 marking ECOWAS’ golden jubilee, the pressure is on for member states to translate decades of agreements into tangible progress—proving that the bloc’s founding ideals of unity and prosperity can finally move beyond paper and into practice.
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, Roger A. Agana, https://newsghana.com.gh/ecowas-pushes-for-political-backing-to-unlock-trade-potential-on-abidjan-lagos-highway/
