THE Draft Institutional Design, Legal Framework as well as the Communication Strategy for the Abidjan – Lagos Corridor Management Authority, ALCoMA, were validated in Abuja, Nigeria on July 15, 2017.

The validation was accomplished at a two-day final workshop organised to review the study on the Institutional and Legal Framework for Corridor Management and Communication Advisory Consultancy Services for the early stage preparation of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, ALC, Highway Development Programme.

Also validated was the proposal by Gauff Engineering Consultant for Corridor staff remuneration in line with the prevailing standard for International Organisations and similar Corridor Institutions.

The workshop agreed that ALCoMA would play a full managerial role in the affairs of the Corridor in contrast to the advisory roles of most counterpart Corridor Management Committees.

It was further agreed that the design would reflect a phase by phase organizational structure based on primary functions required at the development stages of the Corridor due to the financial implications of establishing the ideal structure for the ALCoMA.

The ALCoMA Headquarters will be located in one of the five Corridor States in line with the ECOWAS regulation regarding hosting of Regional Agencies which include, among others, conformance with the ECOWAS Principles of Constitutional convergence and faithful implementation of conditions relating to the Community Levy.

In line with legal documents for creation of supranational Corridor projects, Participants accepted the Framework made by Gauff’s Francis Chirimuuta with minor amendments to the agreement for the creation of ALCoMA, International Project Agreement, rules of procedure and enabling legislation with the title of the Agreement to be known as Intergovernmental Agreement for the Creation of the Abidjan – Lagos Corridor Management Authority

The Communications and Public Relations’ Strategy including video documentary, brochures and flyers, was also endorsed as an instrument of creating awareness and the generation support of the ECOWAS authorities and community citizens for a successful implementation of the Project.

Before the workshop ended, Anna Waldmann, the Head Deutsche Gesellschaft fur International Zusammenabeit, GIZ, Support to PIDA programme, called on ECOWAS Legal and Road Infrastructure experts to focus on the expected benefits of the project in order to maintain the momentum towards its realization.

By the same token, Mamady Souare, the manager, African Development Bank, AfDB,’s Regional Integration Department, reassured participants of the AfDB’s continued support for the Corridor States in the implementation of the Project.

In her closing remarks Antoinette Weeks, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, expressed delight at the commitment of the participants to the Workshop.

Apart from the GIZ and the AfDB, other development partners who participated in the Workshop there were also on hand, the Infrastructure and Energy Department of the African Union Commission, Legal and Road Infrastructure experts from the five Corridor States, NEPAD, Gauff Engineering Consultants as well as experts from the ECOWAS Commission.

—  Jul 19, 2017 @ 12:15 GMT