Transport

Road transport infrastructure is relatively well developed in West Africa, but the volume of transport flows within the region remains low. The main reasons of these relatively modest traffic flows along the interstate corridors are:

1. The existence of numerous check points;
2. The non-tariff barriers due to uncoordinated procedures for goods and passengers’ interstate traffic.

These obstacles generate both increases of transport costs and travel time. As a result of this situation, inter-states traffic is constrained preventing economic integration and efficient specialization of, for example, port infrastructure. In general, transport costs and travel time increase impact on final users directly increasing prices of all commodities traded both domestically and internationally (i.e. imports and exports). This situation clearly jeopardizes social and economic development of all countries of the region and, in turn, their economic integration.

To accelerate effective facilitation of road transport, ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions elaborated the Regional Road Transport and Transit Facilitation Program for West Africa by harmonizing their transit facilitation programs. The components of this program involve, inter alia, the following activities:

1. Simplification and harmonization of road transport regulations, procedures and documents;
2. Establishment of joint control posts at borders along inter-State corridors;
3. Updating of the road transit information system;

The importance of transport and transit facilitation prompted the European Union to grant the ECOWAS Commission 63.8 Million Euros funded from the 9th EDF Regional Indicative Program (RIP) to finance a technical assistance “Transport Facilitation team” and identified sub-programs aimed at reducing constraints in the trans-border movements of passengers, goods and vehicles and enhancing regional integration and reducing poverty in West Africa.

 The overall Objective and expected results of the RIP include

1. Facilitating free movement of persons and goods;
2. Promoting inter-regional trade and ensuring regional integration in West Africa;
3. Abolishing trade barriers and reducing poverty by improving regional transport services and minimizing costs.

Specific objectives include the Provision of Technical Assistance for the implementation, including administrative and financial management of the “RIP 9th EDF – Transport Facilitation Project” (TFP) in accordance with the financing agreement and EDF procedures; Assisting ECOWAS and UEMOA for the preparation and implementation of specific activities related to the various transport sectors: road, air, rail and maritime as foreseen in the financing agreement.

Several successes and progress have been achieved since the launch of the initiative to promote transport facilitation in the region and include the following:

Road Transport

Two (2) Joint Border Posts (JBP) one at Noepe-Akanu between Ghana and Togo and the other at Seme-Krake between Nigeria and Benin, have been completed, inaugurated and handed over to the respective governments in October 2018. The Mfum JBP between Nigeria and Cameroon and the Trans-Gambia JBP between Gambia and Senegal projects are currently ongoing and near completion.

Following the signing of the Abidjan-Lagos corridor and the Praia-Dakar-Abidjan Corridor development treaties in 2017, an African Development Bank (AfDB) and ECOWAS corridor identification mission was carried out in December of 2018. The mission visited all the corridors.

Marine Transport

The marine transport sector is not as developed as the road transport though it is the main and preferred option for bringing goods from outside the region. Intra-regional trade and transport of goods is over reliant on road transport partly due to notable inefficiencies in the maritime sector.

To promote efficiency in ocean freight, an ECOWAS Port Development Master Plan is being developed.  The Master Plan would act as the reference document for the development of an Action Plan to improve the efficiency of port operations, capacity and infrastructure in the region.

A Public Private Partnership (PPP) option is being explored by ECOWAS Infrastructure Projects Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU) in collaboration with the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), as a viable alternative for concession in the maritime sector in the ECOWAS Region. Studies for the PPP commenced in 2018 and was validated in 2019.

Railway

Railway as a means of transporting goods and persons has not featured prominently in the region. Railway infrastructure is virtually absent and calls for the need to revamp the sector to ease traffic and pressure on the roads.

In 2017, experts in the region met and validated an updated version of the ECOWAS Regional Railway Master Plan. A study on the modernization of certain railways including that between Dakar and Bamako was completed in December 2018 and validated in January 2019.

Air Transport

The cost of Air freight in the region is comparatively very high causing constraints on Air transport.

Common Policy for Aviation Charges is being considered and a study is about to be commissioned to inform the formulation of the policy. The Common Policy for Aviation Charges is intended to promote the effectiveness of Air freight through cost reduction. The study is expected to identify the various cost components of air transport to inform negotiations for the reduction of “nuisance taxes” which have been contributing to the high cost of Air Travel in the region.

Relatively high cost of aircraft maintenance is seen as one of the principal cost drivers in the aviation industry in the region. To address this situation, feasibility and detailed study is underway and the expected results is to inform the possibility of the establishment of a Regional Aircraft Maintenance Facility.

A Regional Aircraft Leasing Company and well as a Regional Airline Company are possibilities being explored as part of measures to reduce overall cost of air transport in the region.