By Issah Mohammed
Accra, May 14, GNA – Officials of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission are set to engage 32 affected Ghanaian communities on the 1,028-kilometre Abidjan-Lagos corridor highway project.
The engagement forms part of the project’s communication and visibility plan under its studies component.
Three communication teams will be dispatched simultaneously to engage the communities over a two-week period.
Mr Governs Kwame Agbodja, Minister of Roads and Highways, launched the National Stakeholders Engagement programme in Accra on Tuesday.
He stressed the importance of community engagement in the project, urging facilitators to take concerns seriously.
“I urge facilitators of the programme not to disregard any concerns raised by members of our communities as each view must be thoroughly assessed and addressed,” he said.
The corridor highway project, once completed, will connect five West African countries—Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.
About 520 kilometres, more than half the total length, will pass through Ghana, making it the most affected country.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the highway project, highlighting its strategic significance for national growth and regional prosperity.
“His vigorous support underscores the project’s role as a vital driver of economic transformation, improved connectivity, and socio-economic development for our people,” he said.
Mr David Mwedu, Director in charge of Project Visibility and Communications, said ECOWAS requires the collaboration of affected communities for the project’s success.
He noted that beyond infrastructure, the project aimed to create a socio-economic impact on people’s lives.
“We also want integration. We would like to say that by 2045, we envisage that there would be no borders. It will be a straight road from Lagos to Abidjan,” he said.
The ECOWAS Commission and member countries have secured $42.55 million in loans and grants for the project through the African Development Bank and the European Union.
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