Highlights economic, social benefits
The economic and social benefits of the ECOWAS Abidjan-Lagos corridor highway project have been emphasised amid calls for residents, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders along the Agbara-Badagry axis to support the project’s successful execution and align with the government’s policies for a smooth implementation.

Project Director, Communication and Visibility Study for the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project, David Nwedu, during a stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Agbara, elaborated on the highway’s economic and strategic significance.

He stated that the project supported 75 per cent of ECOWAS’s economic activity across Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Nwedu described the project as a transformative initiative to address a crucial economic route, noting that the Lagos State government is considering adding a rail line in the middle to improve connectivity.

According to Nwedu, one of the key goals of the project was to create a borderless travel experience across the corridor by 2045, allowing seamless movement of goods and people.

He also mentioned that the project promised significant economic and social benefits, including the creation of thousands of jobs during the construction phase, increased commercial activities for local businesses, the development of industrial hubs along the corridor, and a boost in foreign investment and tourism opportunities.

Also speaking, the Federal Controller of Works for Lagos State, Olukorede Kesha, emphasised the need for communities’ cooperation, awareness, and adherence to the designated Right of Way (RoW).

She said that the purpose of the meeting was to inform residents about the upcoming project, noting that some attendees had never participated in such discussions before.

Kesha reassured stakeholders that key community concerns, such as street lighting and bridge expansions, had already been incorporated into the project design.