As part of the initiatives of the 5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V), the Government of Japan provided a team of consultants to the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) to conduct a study on the West Africa Growth Corridor development Master Plan.

This study proposed strategies and plans to promote foreign investment, regional development and economic growth. The Master Plan covers Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Ghana, all countries located on the Abidjan-Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou-Accra, Lome-Ouagadougou, Abidjan-Lagos and Cotonou-Ouagadougou corridors.

The final draft report was endorsed by the Joint Steering Committee composed of the Ministers of the relevant sectors (infrastructure/transport, energy, agriculture, mining, industry, trade, finance, economy and planning) on 23 January 2018 in Abidjan. This meeting concluded with a strong recommendation that the ECOWAS Commission and BOAD should henceforth be members of the Steering Committee.