African Development Fund Approves $80.93 M Loan for New Interstate Road Linking Senegal and Guinea

The loan will fund the construction and asphalting of a critical road that will link the two nations, improving the flow of goods, including agro-pastoral, forestry, and mining products.

The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a loan of $80.93 million to support the construction of a major interstate road connecting Labé and Mali in Guinea with Kédougou and Fongolembi in Senegal. This loan, split between Senegal ($41.47 million) and Guinea ($39.46 million), aims to strengthen regional integration, boost trade, and enhance local livelihoods in both countries.

The loan will fund the construction and asphalting of a critical road that will link the two nations, improving the flow of goods, including agro-pastoral, forestry, and mining products. The road will also provide Malian hauliers with better access to the port of Conakry, facilitating trade via the southern Dakar-Bamako corridor, which passes through Kédougou.

The total length of the road to be built is 240.71 km, with 178.11 km in Guinea and 62.60 km in Senegal. The road will be made of climate-resilient asphalt concrete, featuring a 3.60-metre lane in each direction and 1.5-metre hard shoulders. In addition to the main road, the project will include the construction of 150 km of rural roads, which will improve access to agricultural areas and help transport inputs and produce more efficiently. This infrastructure improvement will particularly benefit rural communities by facilitating easier access to markets for local products.

The project also includes plans for the construction of 20.26 km of paved roads in urban areas, including 14.26 km in the towns of Labé and Mali in Guinea, and 6 km in Kédougou in Senegal. The construction is co-financed by several partners, including the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the West African Development Bank (BOAD), and the governments of Senegal and Guinea.

Joseph Ribeiro, the African Development Bank’s Deputy General Director for West Africa, underscored the strategic importance of this initiative, stating: “The African Development Bank is a key partner in the transport sector across West Africa. This project highlights our leadership in infrastructure development, which is vital to improving regional integration and advancing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).”

The road project will directly impact an estimated population of 1.37 million people, accounting for 4.76% of the combined population of Guinea and Senegal. This development marks a significant step toward enhancing the region’s infrastructure, promoting economic growth, and fostering stronger ties between these West African nations.