The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will officially hand over the site for the construction of the Cavalla River Bridge, which will link Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, on October 2, 2024.
This significant infrastructure project marks another major step in ECOWAS’s commitment to improving transport connections, cross-border trade, economic cooperation, and regional integration throughout West Africa.
The Cavalla River Bridge, a key part of ECOWAS’s Vision 2050, aims to facilitate the movement of goods and people between Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and the broader ECOWAS region.
It also serves as a crucial link in the Praia-Dakar-Abidjan Corridor, part of the 5th segment of the Trans-Africa Highway network.
This initiative aligns with ECOWAS Commission President H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray’s 4 x 4 strategy, which focuses on regional integration, peace, economic stability, and strengthening ties among member states.
Backed by the African Development Bank, the project reflects collaboration between ECOWAS and the governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia to lower transportation costs and reduce travel times. It represents a significant step toward ECOWAS’s long-term goals of sustainable development and improved regional connectivity for its citizens.
About ECOWAS
ECOWAS was established on May 28, 1975, when the ECOWAS Treaty was signed by 15 West African Heads of State and Government in Lagos, Nigeria. Covering an area of 5.2 million square kilometers, its member states include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
As one of the foundations of the African Economic Community, ECOWAS was created to promote cooperation and integration in West Africa, with the goal of forming an economic union to raise living standards, ensure economic stability, strengthen relations among member states, and contribute to the overall development of Africa.
In 2007, ECOWAS transitioned from a Secretariat to a Commission, led by a President, a Vice President, and five Commissioners. This transformation is part of a broader effort to implement key programs that enhance regional cohesion and remove barriers to full integration. ECOWAS envisions a future of “Peace and Prosperity for All” by 2050, transitioning from an “ECOWAS of States” to an “ECOWAS of the People.”
