This article is part of a series produced in collaboration with the African Development Bank as it celebrates its 60th anniversary. For more details on the Bank’s impact and initiatives throughout the continent, please visit our dedicated portal.
The Africa Investment Forum (AIF), set to occur in Morocco this December, provided a platform for the African Development Bank and its partners to reiterate their commitment to investing in regional corridors. Leaders engaged in meaningful discussions surrounding the concrete steps their countries and organizations are taking to enhance regional connectivity, highlighting several exemplary projects that foster greater integration throughout Africa.
Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, cited the Chirundu one-stop border post connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe as a stellar example of success. This project has significantly reduced cargo clearance times, from over 48 hours in 2022 to under 14 hours in 2024—an impressive decrease of 60%. Likewise, the Cinkansé one-stop border post that links Burkina Faso and Togo has shortened border crossing times from 2-3 days to just 1-2 hours.
“Our integrated corridor strategy prioritizes transportation, energy, digital connectivity, and industrial clusters while also focusing on job creation, urban-rural connectivity, and climate resilience. Connecting Africa empowers Africa,” she remarked during the AIF’s closing ceremony.
Samaila Zubairu, CEO of the African Finance Corporation, expressed optimism regarding the swift progress of projects aimed at enhancing connectivity, mentioning the Lobito corridor in Angola. “The Lobito Corridor is an example of a project for which we signed a Memorandum of Understanding just a year ago, and it has progressed quickly,” he noted.
Key projects taking shape
The Lobito Corridor, with an estimated investment of $10 billion, encompasses railroads, highways, bridges, telecommunications, energy, and agribusiness projects. Key participants in this initiative include the African Development Bank, which has committed approximately $500 million, the African Finance Corporation as the main Project Developer, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa, which is leading the project’s initial phase.
This corridor is expected to create thousands of jobs and foster regional integration across Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. In October 2023, international partners such as the United States and the European Commission formalized a Memorandum of Understanding to rally support for the Lobito Corridor.
Another monumental project in the works is the ambitious Abidjan-Lagos Highway Corridor, which is slated to begin construction in 2026. This transcontinental coastal highway, stretching 1,028 km, will link Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, creating an economic corridor likely to boost regional trade and development.
The initiative gained significant momentum during the 2022 AIF Market Days, attracting $15.6 billion in investment interest. The African Development Bank has already allocated $25 million to speed up the preparatory stage of this vital corridor.
Upon completion, the highway will feature a carriageway with four to six lanes, expanding to eight lanes in Lagos. It will connect major economic centers, including Abidjan, Takoradi, Accra, Lomé, Cotonou, Porto-Novo, and Lagos—areas projected to host 173 million urban residents by 2050. The route from Abidjan to Lagos currently accounts for 75% of West Africa’s commercial activities, underscoring the project’s strategic importance.
Crucially, the project involves more than just transportation. The African Development Bank’s Spatial Development Initiative has identified various targeted interventions that will require around $6.8 billion in investments, spanning sectors like renewable energy, manufacturing, and agriculture. These efforts are anticipated to yield $16 billion in added economic benefits and create over 60,000 direct and 70,000 indirect job opportunities.
Connecting Africa to the world
To fully unlock its economic potential, Africa must ensure that its nations are not only interconnected but also effectively linked to the global economy, argued Leila Benali, Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.
Benali highlighted Morocco’s essential role as a key bridge between Africa and the wider world. She noted that the national sustainability strategy aims to strengthen Morocco’s position as a pivotal link between Africa, Europe, and the Atlantic Basin, emphasizing that investments in the country’s clean energy infrastructure are crucial for realizing the continent’s potential. “Morocco will act as a corridor linking Europe and Africa,” she affirmed.
