Linking West African Corridors
The West Africa Growth Ring Corridor Master Plan Project (WAGRIC2) is a case study that aims to develop a strategic master plan for corridor development. The CACAO project focuses on the development of economic sectors and corridor infrastructure in four countries: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo. These four countries are known as the WAGRIC countries or the WAGRIC subregion.
Although the improvement of the transport capacity of the North-South corridors (Abidjan-Ouagadougou, Tema-Ouagadougou, Tema-Ouagadougou and Lomé-Ouagadougou) should become an important trigger for the development of economic sectors along the corridors, the impact of such an improvement in transport alone is not sufficient for economic growth in the case of the WAGRIC countries. It is therefore necessary for the subregion to develop other types of strategies to promote the development of economic sectors.
The WAGRIC project focuses on emerging and fast-growing subregional markets for different types of consumer goods. It aims to develop strategies to promote economic sectors related to developing Corridors. High commodity prices and the expansion of mineral and primary agricultural production worldwide in the 2000s have enabled economic growth in producing regions. This growth has shaped subregional consumer markets and stimulated their development. This trend is expected to continue in the future as global demand for these commodities increases, albeit with price fluctuations.
The WAGRIC Master Plan recommends that, in addition to ongoing efforts to increase the export of primary products such as minerals, cocoa, cashew nuts, palm oil, rubber and cotton to foreign markets, the development of economic sectors targeting the subregional market of the WAGRIC countries should be promoted. This will require the full implementation of subregional economic integration and corridor development.
Through subregional economic integration, the WAGRIC Master Plan aims to boost the development of corridors to strengthen connectivity between the four countries, and north-south link with inland and coastal areas of neighbouring countries to promote the development of economic sectors targeting growing markets in the subregion.
By promoting investment in both inland and coastal economic sectors, targeting the growing markets of the subregion and strengthening North-South connectivity, inland economic sectors can be linked to the growing markets of coastal areas.
The growth scenario chosen by the WAGRIC Master Plan will promote the development of economic sectors in both inland and coastal areas, thus avoiding excessive migration of people from inland to coastal areas and slowing down regional disparities.
The WAGRIC Master Plan will seek to achieve “dynamic and inclusive development as well as sustainable development” through the implementation of these corridor development strategies and plans. It aims to achieve a balanced socio-economic development between the countries or inland areas and the countries or coastal areas of the WAGRIC subregion.
