Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Minister of the Sea emphasized this Monday, in Sierra Leone, the strategic importance of the Praia/Dakar/Abidjan maritime and land link project, which will connect five West African countries, including Cape Verde, for approximately 3,500 kilometers.
Jorge Santos expressed this position during his speech at the 9th Meeting of Ministers of the Praia/Dakar/Abidjan Maritime and Road Corridor, held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he was accompanied by the director of the Port of Praia, Nelson Freire.
In a press release sent today to Inforpress, the governor praised the project as an integrated economic corridor, designed to serve as a catalyst for development and regional integration.
He emphasized that one of the major challenges of the meeting is to define an objective and viable roadmap, with clear deadlines for implementation, combined with the dynamic involvement of partner countries and institutions.
The project, he explained, represents a fundamental platform for strengthening trade, boosting the blue economy, promoting business, and sharing knowledge in the region.
He also advocated for the creation of a multimodal transportation system, boosting connectivity and new business opportunities.
At the same meeting, Jorge Santos stated that Cape Verde has already initiated a broad program to modernize and expand the national port network, as well as shipyards and industrial fishing, in order to strengthen the country’s capacity to integrate this important corridor.
The work in Freetown, according to the government statement, concludes with the signing of the Freetown Declaration, which signals a decisive step in consolidating the project.
The Praia/Dakar/Abidjan maritime and land line is considered a strategic infrastructure project, supported by Portugal and ECOWAS, which aims to connect Cape Verde with Senegal and Ivory Coast, also connecting other West African countries.
The project is in the development phase, with visibility reports and technical validation underway to establish a maritime route between Praia and Dakar and a comprehensive land transportation system.
The Praia/Dakar maritime link is projected to be operational by the end of 2026.
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