ECOWAS and its Member States unite efforts in Dakar to develop a harmonized regional road design code

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission convened a meeting of road infrastructure engineers, technical experts from Member States, and international partners in Dakar, Senegal, from 28 to 30 October 2025, to review and assess the interim recommendations for harmonized road design standards, codes, and manuals. This important exercise, which will culminate in the development of an ECOWAS Road Design Code and Manual, forms part of ongoing efforts to establish a unified regional framework for road design that reflects the specific needs, conditions, and contexts of West African countries.

The regional harmonization initiative seeks to address the current fragmentation in road design practices across West Africa, where countries have traditionally applied different national or foreign standards and codes, including French, British, American, and Chinese systems. Such inconsistencies and varying norms have slowed regional infrastructure development, undermined road safety, and posed challenges to cross-border connectivity. The forthcoming ECOWAS Road Design Manual aims to consolidate best practices within a unified framework tailored to the West African environment, taking into account local materials, climate, topography, and safety requirements, while aligning with internationally recognized technical standards.

The Dakar workshop brought together technical experts, government representatives, regional institutions, consultants, and development partners from ECOWAS Member States to review and validate interim outcomes across key thematic areas. These include geometric and structural road design, traffic signage and road marking, road safety audits, hydraulic engineering and drainage systems, geotechnics, traffic studies, environmental and social safeguards, and tunnel design. Participants examined nine provisional volumes of the interim report, providing practical input, sharing national perspectives, and identifying gaps to be addressed before finalization.

Going forward, Member States committed to continue working closely with the Commission to produce a regionally harmonized framework for road design and management in West Africa. The reports will undergo further technical review at the national level before the preparation of the final report, expected in early 2026. ECOWAS reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Member States throughout the process to develop a unified road design manual that meets international standards while reflecting local realities. The harmonized code will serve as a key tool to enhance safety, interoperability, and infrastructure quality across the region’s expanding road network.