70% of regional economy activities happens along Abidjan -Lagos corridor, TEC Chairman 

Chairman, Technical Experts Committee, Abidjan -Lagos Corridor Highway project, Engr. Ebere Izunobi, in his interview, speaks with Stanley Ihedigbo on the important of the Abidjan -Lagos Corridor Highway project, and other issues.

This project started 2019 and it has been meetings upon meetings. What is the meetings all about?

The meetings are expert meetings preparing for the upcoming ministerial meetings, reviewing progress, engineering design, transport facilities, safety, and special development initiatives for the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway project. The meetings are stakeholders’ meetings, preparing for the ministers meeting that is coming up soon. Last meeting we had  with consultants,  they submitted their design reports. We reviewed it and made some amendment to fit into the programme we have for the Abidjan -Lagos Corridor Highway project. All our meetings are about  deliberating on the progress of the project. It involves experts from all member countries. They will look at what have be done from  meetings outcomes and review it. Also we will make report to present at the ministrial meeting. It is for the ministers of  works of the five countries to take decision on way forward to the project. Don’t forget that the ministers been supportive to our meetings because they knows the important of such meetings to such a huge project in the region. We have reviewed all the progress made in the project, from the  engineering design, transport facilities, the safety, also special development initiative which are all components of the project to  achieve wonderful alignment that will help the people of West Africa.

What happens after the design review?
After the design review, the bill of quantity will be generated for cost evaluation, signaling the end of the design phase. Right now, we are fine-tuning the technical details for the project.

What is the significance of the technical meetings?

The technical meetings determine the project’s parameters, alignment, road specifications, design, and bridges, ensuring a homogeneous corridor from Abidjan to Lagos. The outcomes will provide all the parameters to able us begin the construction of the highway project. Now, technically, we started with harmonization of the standards.  The corridor is passing  through different countries, which has different standards. So, first and foremost, we have to harmonized it. It is going to work as a homogeneous corridor whereby all the design will be the same parameters from Abidjan to Lagos. After harmonizing that, it will be provided to the consultants to do the design base on the harmonized precifications. With it now, they are doing the pavement design, bridges design, and they are also doing the geometry design. All these parameters are what they are working on now and that will ensure when you enter the road from Abidjan, the same standard until you get to Lagos.

How do technical meetings relate to ministerial meetings?

Technical meetings advise ministers on the project, with experts from five countries reviewing consultants’ work, ensuring alignment with agreed standards. We have experts from the five countries, which includes Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and Nigeria. Those  directors are  from road infrastructure ministries of the five countries. They would sit  down and review what the consultants has done and make sure it aligned with what was agreed, and the countries will accept what is been done. Secondly ECOWAS Commission are coordinating the project and guiding us. We also have development partners, African Development Bank, who apart from supporting the project with fund , are guilding us on best practices of this kind of project internationally. Now, we are going to prepare the documents and make recommendations for the five countries ministers. When the ministers comes, they will look at what has been done and looks at the recommendations from the technical meetings. The ministers will either approve or advise what to do.

What environmental impact assessments have been done?

Consultants have conducted environmental impact assessments, considering climate change, ecology, and natural habitats, ensuring the project withstands environmental challenges.

The consultant have gone round the countries, had meetings with host communities, and other stakeholders. We know there’s rising sea waters, temperature, and also we have imbibed in the term of reference the measures. We inspect the infrastructure to last many  years and we are using long water psycho to make sure no matter whatever happened, the project will withstand any environmental challenges that comes up in future. Secondly, we try as much as possible not to destroy the natural inhabitants. Places where we have  natural inhabitants, we will try to provide crosses to natural animals,  under pass so that they don’t leave where they are breeding. So, there is special emphasis on environment and in the materials we are using, we also look at those that are environmental friendly. But it is a whole component of the project, which a consultant is working on. They are advising us on what best to be done.

What is the social-economic impact of the Abidjan -Lagos Corridor Highway project to West Africa region? 

The project promotes seamless movement, commerce, businesses, and industrial clusters, benefiting West Africa’s economy, with 70% of regional activities happening along the corridor.

We also try to establish industrial clusters, some business hub whereby countries that have comparative advantage can produced goods and trade it across the region. So, the economy gain of the project is very big, and that’s why heads of countries , insisted that it is important the project is executed and they are following it’s activities.