By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka
Abuja
Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to stronger bilateral and regional cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire during a high-level meeting with Ivorian National Assembly Speaker Patrick Jérôme Achi at the 152nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey, according to a press release signed by Jackson Udom Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity on Sunday.
Welcoming the Ivorian delegation, Senator Akpabio described Côte d’Ivoire as a “historic partner and brother nation,” stating that the relationship between both countries is central to West Africa’s future. He warned that without unity, the region risks “a return to new forms of neocolonialism.”
Both leaders stressed the urgent need for deeper regional integration, including strengthening the Economic Community of West African States and reintegrating Sahel countries. Akpabio said a fragmenting global order requires West Africa to act collectively to secure its economic and political future.
A major focus of the talks was the Abidjan–Accra–Lagos Coastal Highway, a flagship project designed to connect over 300 million people across West Africa. Akpabio called it “an economic artery that will redefine mobility, trade, and integration” and commended President Bola Tinubu for backing the project.
Once completed, the modern double-carriage superhighway is expected to cut Lagos–Abidjan travel from three days to about eight hours. It will operate under a supranational legal and operational framework aimed at eliminating excessive border delays through harmonized regional laws.
Five ECOWAS countries have already enacted legislation to enable seamless cross-border movement along the corridor, modeled after open-border systems. Both parties pledged to deepen parliamentary collaboration and coordinate legislative frameworks to support integration.
Speaker Achi emphasized that Africa’s development must be driven by private sector-led growth, backed by strong governance and legislative oversight. “Governments do not grow economies — the private sector does,” he said, urging policies that unlock investment and create jobs for Africa’s youth.
Achi identified peace, stability, education, and economic opportunity as pillars for sustainable growth. He warned that without these, West Africa risks falling behind despite vast natural and human resources, noting the continent is “walking on wealth it does not fully recognize.”
Both leaders acknowledged persistent challenges, including language barriers, fragmented markets, weak infrastructure, and brain drain. On security, they discussed technology-driven surveillance, smart border management, and regional intelligence cooperation to safeguard open-border systems.
The two parliaments committed to enhanced oversight of regional projects and warned of emerging risks, including digital and economic recolonization. Describing Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire as “strategic pillars of West Africa,” both leaders concluded: “If we work together, nothing is impossible.”
