A new road improvement project is planned for North Benin – image courtesy of © Peter Hermes Furian, Dreamstime.com
Northern Benin in West Africa is to benefit from a road improvement project that will boost the country’s transport connections internally and also with its neighbours. The road links the cities of Banikoara, Djougou and Péhunco and will be resurfaced with asphalt.
Financing has already been secured for the project, which is being provided by the West African Development Bank (BOAD), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and also the Benin Government. The work is expected to commence in October 2021, once the rainy season has passed. The project is costing US$236.7 million.
The work will be carried out in four phases. The first phase from Djougou to Péhunco will measure 72.5km and take 30 months to complete. The 73km second phase will connect Péhunco and Kérou, again taking 30 months to complete. Linking Kérou and Pk, the 38.6km third phase will take 24 months to complete. Meanwhile, the 25.7km fourth and final phase from Pk to Banikoara will take 24 months to complete.
The city of Banikoura lies close to Benin’s borders with both Niger and Burkina Faso and this road provides an important transport link for both of these landlocked nations. Upgrading the road will lower transport costs while boosting safety, delivering significant economic gains for Benin as well as its neighbours, which also include Nigeria and Togo.
