The EU-Regional Corridors Business Forum, which closed on April 1, 2026, sealed a major financial commitment from the European Union to modernise the Abidjan–Lagos and Abidjan–Ouagadougou corridors — a strategic investment aimed at boosting the flow of regional trade.
From March 30 to April 1, 2026, nearly 800 participants from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and the European Union gathered in Abidjan to map out the future of transport across West Africa through the development of regional corridors.
At the heart of the discussions: the CALAO zone (Abidjan–Lagos and Abidjan–Ouagadougou Corridors). In 2025, the Abidjan–Lagos and Abidjan–Ouagadougou corridors handled respectively over 50 million tonnes of freight and approximately 4 million tonnes.
To support this momentum, the GGSP-CALAO project (Global Gateway Support Project) was officially put forward. With a budget of €45 million over the 2025–2029 period, the programme aims to harmonise corridor governance and dismantle trade barriers.
“This funding represents a major opportunity,” said Dioman Coné, chief of staff, representing the Ivorian Minister of Transport. The objective is clear: modernise infrastructure to facilitate trade flows and support sustainable growth in collaboration with ECOWAS and UEMOA.
The project is led by a consortium of experts — Belgian agency Enabel (lead partner), Expertise France and TradeMark Africa — with joint funding from the EU and France. For Enabel Director General Jean Van Wetter, the forum is part of a “broader reform of international cooperation.”
The event’s success is also reflected in the numbers: more than 750 participants including 250 companies and representatives from 36 nationalities were registered. More striking still, the forum generated over €25 billion in investment intentions, with a significant share directed at the Abidjan–Lagos coastal corridor.
EU Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire Irchad Razaaly reaffirmed the durability of this partnership. Beyond the €45 million, the EU and its member states have mobilised €1 billion to bring these corridor projects to fruition, while also reinforcing security and development in border areas.
Driven by this impetus, regional integration is taking a significant step forward, promising faster movement of goods and people across West Africa.
The Participants emphasised the digitalisation of procedures and the need for an integrated ecosystem.
AP/Sf/lb/gik/APA