Two major infrastructure projects; the Abidjan – Lagos Corridor Highway and Nigeria’s Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway are set to unlock unprecedented trade, investment, and industrial opportunities across West Africa’s coastline, according to insights shared by Kola Adesina, Group Managing Director of Sahara Group.
At the centre of this transformation is the USD 15.6 billion Abidjan – Lagos Corridor Highway, a 1,028 km toll-free route linking Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. Expected to commence construction in 2026, the ECOWAS-backed project will connect an estimated 173 million people by 2050, and is projected to deliver over USD 16 billion in economic gains and create 70,000 jobs.
With support from the African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and other partners, the project integrates a Spatial Development Initiative designed to catalyze private sector investment in renewable energy, agriculture, and manufacturing along the corridor.
Simultaneously, Nigeria is advancing the Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway, a multi-billion-dollar internal project that will connect key economic and port cities across its southern belt, including Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Calabar. This corridor is intended to enhance access to the nation’s blue economy, gas-based industrialization, and emerging export processing zones.
Complementary infrastructure projects such as the Lekki Deep Sea Port and the Eastern Industrial Corridor are further positioning Nigeria as a major logistics and manufacturing hub in the Gulf of Guinea.
“Viewed together, these highways form the backbone of a pan-coastal industrial and trade corridor for the region,” said Adesina. “They offer a rare opportunity to drive cross-border trade, regional integration, and AfCFTA alignment, underpinned by coordinated policy, infrastructure, and security frameworks.”
If successfully executed, the twin corridors are expected to facilitate energy cooperation, reduce trade bottlenecks, and drive industrial clustering; transforming the Gulf of Guinea into a unified economic zone of shared growth, resilience, and prosperity.
