Lagos-Abidjan transport corridor requires urgent investment to close $30bn infrastructure gap- Official
The multimodal transport and economic corridor connecting Lagos to Accra to Abidjan is a key trade route which requires immediate investment, according to Lerato Mataboge, commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission (AUC).
This West African corridor has been singled out as a priority in a new continental strategy designed to close a £20-£24 billion ($25-$30 billion) aviation infrastructure gap.
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Other priority routes include Nairobi–Addis Ababa–Dar es Salaam in East Africa, and Johannesburg–Lusaka–Maputo in Southern Africa.
The analysis identifies the need for targeted Investment in multimodal transport and economic corridors, which are also vital AfCFTA trade routes
Mataboge in detailing the strategy, during the Luanda Summit, stated that the current deficiencies were a “major bottleneck to the full realization of Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
He explained that the AUC regards aviation not merely as transport, but as a “strategic engine of continental integration and a core enabler of Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).”
To tackle the challenge, Mataboge noted that the AUC is in collaboration with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) and ICAO, and has completed a continental aviation infrastructure gap analysis, funded by the World Bank’s Biashara project. Mataboge noting that this study provided an “essential, data-driven baseline” for investment.
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The gap analysis identified major deficiencies across five key areas, including Aerodromes (AGA), Air Traffic Management (ATM), and Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS). Critically, the study included a 25-year traffic forecast, revealing that African passenger traffic is expected to more than triple by 2050, rising from a 2024 baseline of 160 million to nearly half a billion passengers.
This projected growth confirms the urgency of the situation.
Mobilising finance: From gaps to bankable projects
To close the estimated £20-£24 billion gap over the next decade, the AUC’s focus is to translate identified gaps into “bankable investment projects.” Preliminary estimates suggest the immediate need for $10 billion for airport/AGA infrastructure continent-wide, with a further $8 billion for communication, navigation and meteorology modernisation.
Mataboge announced the strategy to mobilise $10 billion in catalytic public capital to leverage an additional $20 billion in private and institutional co-financing.
To achieve this, he explained that the AUC is actively coordinating with Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and Afreximbank, to align their investment priorities with SAATM.
The Commissioner also affirmed that the AUC is working to advance “standardized public private partnership models to de-risk projects, ensure transparency, and attract long-term private sector expertise and finance.”
In addition the AUC is spearheading the creation of a Dedicated African Aviation Infrastructure Financing Facility in collaboration with the AfDB and AUDA-NEPAD.
He concluded by stating that the AUC is transforming African aviation infrastructure into an attractive asset class for global climate-focused capital, stating: “It is not just an investment in SAATM and AfCFTA; it is an investment in a green, resilient, and prosperous future for the entire African continent.”
