THE African Development Fund has approved a concessional loan worth $80.93 million to Senegal and Guinea for the construction of a new 240.71-kilometre interstate highway aimed at enhancing trade and integration in West Africa.
The project, financed through the African Development Bank Group’s concessional window, allocates $41.47 million to Senegal and $39.46 million to Guinea. It will connect Labé and Mali (in Guinea) with Kédougou and Fongolembi (in Senegal), providing a crucial link for local populations, agricultural trade, and the transport of mining and forestry products.
Strengthening regional connectivity
The highway is expected to improve access for hauliers in Mali to Guinea’s Conakry port via the southern Dakar-Bamako corridor. The project also includes the construction of rural feeder roads to ease the supply of agricultural inputs and the movement of produce to markets.
Joseph Ribeiro, AfDB Deputy General Director for West Africa, stressed the importance of the project in fostering integration: ‘This initiative reaffirms the Bank’s leadership in infrastructure development on the continent, advancing the African Continental Free Trade Area and strengthening regional unity.’
Key project details
- Main highway: 240.71 km total (178.11 km in Guinea and 62.60 km in Senegal).
- Road surface: Climate-resilient asphalt with one lane (3.6 m) in each direction and 1.5 m shoulders.
- Additional infrastructure: 150 km of rural roads (100 km in Guinea and 50 km in Senegal) and 20.26 km of urban roads in towns like Labé, Mali (Guinea), and Kédougou (Senegal).
The road will serve over 1.37 million residents in the region, equivalent to 4.76 percent of the population of the two countries.
Broad funding and collaboration
Co-financed by the Islamic Development Bank, the West African Development Bank, and the governments of Senegal and Guinea, the project highlights the collaborative spirit driving West Africa’s infrastructure goals.
Once completed, the highway will bolster trade routes, improve rural livelihoods, and advance economic integration, setting the stage for deeper cooperation in the region.
