Comoros Celebrates Completion of Major Road Financed by AfDB

Thousands of Comorians turned up to witness the official opening of the $30 million road artery, financed entirely by the African Development Bank.

The people of the Union of Comoros are celebrating the completion of a major road that will open up its agriculturally rich areas and provide reliable access to its popular tourist centres.

Thousands of Comorians turned up to witness the official opening of the $30 million road artery, financed entirely by the African Development Bank. President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, inaugurated the 49.2-kilometre section of National Road 2 (RN2) on Friday, 5 July, on the eve of the country’s 49th independence celebrations.

The newly opened road section links Moroni, the capital of Grande Comore, to the Foumbouni region in the island’s southeast. This significant addition to the country’s transport infrastructure is expected to catalyze economic progress. The new road promises to increase average daily traffic by 27%, reduce operating costs by 30% for cars and 33% for trucks, and cut average journey times by 50%.

During the inauguration ceremony, President Assoumani acknowledged the support provided for the road's completion and thanked Dr. Adesina for his presence at the occasion. "We are permanent partners. It is thanks to the African Development Bank and the intervention of its president, my dear brother Akinwumi Adesina, that we have built this road. We must continue to thank and encourage him," said President Assoumani.

Dr. Adesina emphasized the road’s impact, stating, "This road will have a considerable impact on people's lives. It plays an essential role in opening up areas with high economic potential for agriculture and tourism. It is the only access road to the popular tourist towns of Ouroveni and Male. I think we should even think of renaming this RN2 road 'The Road of Hope.'"

The upgrading of RN2 was undertaken in two phases: the first 11-kilometre section was completed in 2021, and the second 38.2-kilometre section opened for traffic in June 2024.

"Improving connectivity is essential to enable Comoros to participate effectively in regional and global value chains, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area and in view of Comoros' accession to the World Trade Organization," said Dr. Adesina.

The African Development Bank has also invested in other areas to strengthen the Comoros economy, including empowering women and young people, job creation, capacity-building for technical agencies, and institutional support for the government. The Bank's Board of Directors is expected to review the extension of $136 million in grants for Comoros, aimed at deepening regional integration. This includes the rehabilitation and extension of the port of Moroni, the expansion of the port of Boingoma, and the establishment of economic zones.

"This project will be the largest ever supported by the African Development Bank in the history of its partnership with the Comoros," said Dr. Adesina.

The Bank Group has provided financial and technical assistance to the National Road Network Rehabilitation Programme since 2017. This programme was initiated by the Comorian government to undertake large-scale road-network improvements.

African Development Bank: A Key Partner of the Comoros

The African Development Bank is the Comoros’ principal development partner for the country’s transport infrastructure. In its 2021-2025 Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for the Comoros, the Bank commits to supporting the government in creating sustainable, high-quality transport infrastructure that can open up the regions of the archipelago and strengthen their connectivity.

The CSP also aims to overcome fragility and strengthen the country's resilience to promote structural transformation and the emergence of the archipelago through the development of basic transport and energy infrastructure.

As of 30 June 2024, the Bank Group’s portfolio for the Comoros comprised 10 projects with total commitments of $106.7 million. Operations in the transport sector account for 78% of the total portfolio, followed by energy (9%), agriculture (8%), and multi-sector (5%) projects.

The Bank also plans to provide financing of around $182.5 million in the period 2024-2025, utilizing funds from the African Development Fund (ADF) to support structuring projects as part of the Emerging Comoros Plan 2030 (ECP 2030). Most of this financing will be directed to the transport and energy sectors. Additional financing for development in the Comoros will be mobilized from sources including the Climate Action Window, an ADF mechanism aiming to raise at least $4 billion, with 75% going towards climate adaptation in the most vulnerable African countries.

Strategically located in the Mozambique Channel, between East Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean, the Union of the Comoros is at the junction of several trade routes.