Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) heads of states yesterday approved $50 million for feasibility studies and design of the six-lane Trans-West African highway project from Lagos to Abidjan.
The Lagos-Abidjan road when completed, will link Ghana, Benin Republic and Togo.
The approval was sequel to a meeting held with ECOWAS Ministers of Works and Infrastructure, which was chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The meeting was on the sidelines of the ongoing 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Chairman of the Ministerial Project Steering Committee and Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, said the $50 million, which is a contribution by the ECOWAS states, would hasten the road project that is expected to begin in the first quarter of this year as $16 million of the money will come from African Development Bank (ADB).