Dakar, Senegal – October 30, 2025 — The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission hosted a pivotal workshop from October 28 to 30, 2025, bringing together road infrastructure engineers, technical experts from Member States, and international partners to review interim recommendations for harmonized road design standards, codes, and manuals. Held in Dakar, Senegal, the meeting marked a significant step toward the creation of a unified ECOWAS Road Design Code and Manual.
This initiative is part of ECOWAS’s broader strategy to establish a standardized regional framework for road design that reflects the unique environmental, material, and safety conditions of West African countries. Currently, road design practices across the region vary widely, with countries relying on disparate national or foreign standards—ranging from French and British to American and Chinese systems. These inconsistencies have hindered infrastructure development, compromised road safety, and complicated cross-border connectivity.
The forthcoming ECOWAS Road Design Manual aims to address these challenges by consolidating best practices into a cohesive, regionally relevant framework. It will incorporate considerations such as local climate, topography, construction materials, and safety requirements, while aligning with globally recognized technical benchmarks.
During the Dakar workshop, participants—including government officials, regional institutions, consultants, and development partners—reviewed nine draft volumes covering key thematic areas. These included:
– Geometric and structural road design
– Traffic signage and road markings
– Road safety audits
– Hydraulic engineering and drainage
– Geotechnics
– Traffic studies
– Environmental and social safeguards
– Tunnel design
Experts provided critical feedback, shared national experiences, and identified areas for refinement to ensure the final manual is both comprehensive and practical.
Looking ahead, Member States reaffirmed their commitment to collaborating with the ECOWAS Commission to finalize the harmonized framework. The interim reports will undergo further national-level technical reviews, with the final version of the ECOWAS Road Design Manual expected in early 2026.
ECOWAS remains dedicated to supporting its Member States throughout this process. Once completed, the harmonized code will serve as a cornerstone for safer, more interoperable, and higher-quality road infrastructure across West Africa.
