Strengthen regional economic integration and boost entrepreneurship

This is a big step that Benin and Togo have just taken in terms of road infrastructure, by rehabilitating the Lomé-Cotonou section through the African Development Fund. It is the concessional rate loan window of the African Development Bank Group. This road was financed to the tune of 40.85 million US dollars as part of the second phase of the project to rehabilitate the route linking the two capitals of the two states.

As soon as the project has been inaugurated, it arouses a lot of hope among the population, because it will ease traffic flow and increase commercial exchanges. With this financing, the Bank Group reaffirms its desire to make corridors powerful economic and industrial breeding grounds for the development of African countries.

Moreover, for the institution, in fact,’investment in infrastructure’scale can transform economies and the living conditions of people in Africa. This road constitutes a section of the Abidjan-Lagos strategic road corridor, 1,028 kilometers long, the true backbone of development in West Africa, which must connect Togo, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. .

The Bank plays the leading role in mobilizing financing for this gigantic integrative project. Now, in 2×2 widened lanes, with quality surfacing and solar lighting, the portion of road concerned by the Abidjan-Lagos megaproject guarantees increased safety for motorists and pedestrians, in particular thanks to the construction of elevated pedestrian bridges, designed to protect the most vulnerable users.

The entrepreneurs run to the gate. As is the case with this 44-year-old former banker. He did not hesitate for a single second to launch himself into the’hotel and catering by betting on a bold bet:’impact of the rehabilitation of the Lomé-Cotonou road. For him, this road, which connects the two most dynamic capitals of’Africa’West, is a promise of’future, a source of’opportunities.

Not very far from the hotel construction site, its restaurant, “le Miadjoe”, is ideally located opposite the’mouth of Lake Togo, a new resort increasingly popular with tourists. There too, it’is the proximity of the road which determined the’location of the restaurant. The entrepreneur quickly noticed a clear increase in attendance, driven by the fluidity of travel made possible by the rehabilitated road and by the newly installed night lighting, which allows customers to come with complete peace of mind, day and night.

«Since’we have the road, we have many more customers, and as the road is lit at night, they can also stay late,” Lionel tells the press, convinced that he has spotted the right opportunity. A boon for an establishment which frequently comes alive after dark by offering musical shows and cultural events.

Better still, ancillary infrastructure has also been modernized, such as the Sanvee Condji/Hillacondji border checkpoint between the two countries, where operations are now more fluid, favoring the transport of goods and the movement of residents. The border post embodies a new approach to border flow management: efficient, rapid and adapted to the’growth in trade between countries in the region.

More than’a simple road project, the rehabilitated Lomé-Cotonou section embodies successful regional integration, accompanied by a certain economic dynamism, with in particular positive repercussions which go beyond the borders of the two countries concerned. Between Lomé and Cotonou, Lionel Djondo n’is not the only one to benefit from this transformation. By traveling the road, 150 kilometers long, now widened and modernized, we discover how it redesigns the life of an entire region and stimulates’economic activity of many communities.

Pour sa part, Alexis Coffi Aquereburu, maire d’Aného, ​​proudly observes the metamorphosis of his town. “It was a difficult, narrow and dangerous road. Today, it has completely changed the face of the towns and villages that’she crosses. It accelerated the development of Aného, ​​its commune, in the sense that it allowed the’installation of hotels, the organization of cultural and tourist events, but also the installation of several businesses.

“The road builds African integration by developing both an economy of proximity and an economy of distance. It is truly an essential tool for building development in peace,” continues the councilor, who welcomes the strengthening of trade, the fluidity of human exchanges and the improvement of regional cooperation.

For his part, Maël Gnancadja, a car dealer between Lomé and Cotonou, also benefits from the regional dynamics of’integration. Based in Lomé, where most of his activities take place, he travels this section every weekend to find his family in neighboring Benin. The fluidity of passage at the renovated Sanvee Condji/Hillacondji border post has greatly facilitated both personal and professional travel.

Finally, throughout the 150 kilometers, this renovated road carries a real social and economic transformation. Infrastructure embodies more than its primary function: it is a real investment and transformation tool. But it is also an accelerator of development and integration for this entire part of Africa. It is this type of infrastructure that the continent needs today to consolidate its economy and actively participate in global growth.