Togo is set to receive US $33.7m loan from the West African Development Bank (BOAD) to fund a road project in the country. BOAD president Christian Adovelande and Togolese Minister of Economy and Finance Sani Yaya signed the loan agreement.
The funds will be used to upgrade and asphalt a 60 km-long road linking the northern Togolese towns of Katchamba and Sadori, and build two bridges over the Kara and Koumongou rivers.
Adovelande said the lending was consistent with Togo’s 2018-2022 national development plan and the 2015-2019 BOAD strategic plan, which outlined key actions to promote regional development.
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State of roads in Togo
Togo’s infrastructure is in a lamentable state. This is badly affecting the economy, which has only grown at a moderate pace in recent years. There is great pent-up demand as, during the many years of authoritarian rule, international donors did not contribute aid for a long time. The state does not have sufficient funds to develop the road network that is of particular importance for Togo as a trading nation.
Togo’s road network is about 10,000 km in length, out of which only 16% is surfaced. The main transport route in Togo is the RN1 national road, which is 650 km in length and runs from the edges of the northern city of Lomé to the far north of Togo and the southern border of Burkina Faso. Half of Togo’s road traffic passes along this transit route alone, the most important one for trade.
BOAD has so far provided a total of US $1bn to Togo out of which US $ 414.7m was used to support construction of transport infrastructure. More than 800 km-long road, has been constructed or rehabilitated. According to Adovelande, the project reduce by 66% the traveling time on the road and by at least 60% the vehicle operation cost.
