Traveling on land through vast regional areas of African countries has been an inefficient ordeal, particularly in West Africa. Google Maps optimistically estimates it would take 53 hours to drive nonstop from Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, to Dakar, Senegal's capital. However, this estimate doesn't account for the poor road infrastructure, complex border crossings, and socio-economic challenges that realistically extend the journey to about a week.
This is why the ongoing Trans-West African Coastal Highway project offers a great opportunity to connect and unlock the region's potential. This project, also known as TAH 7, is a transnational highway initiative linking 12 West African coastal nations, from Mauritania in the northwest to Nigeria in the east. Its gradual construction opens new avenues for freight movement, rail infrastructure, and, more importantly, innovative forms of architecture around borders, addressing their unique socio-cultural functions.
The Trans-West African Coastal Highway is part of the Trans-African Highway network, developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (ADB), and the African Union in collaboration with regional international communities. The highway stretches from Nouakchott, Mauritania in the west to Lagos, Nigeria in the east, with feeder roads serving two landlocked countries: Mali and Burkina Faso. The current construction phase focuses on the Abidjan to Lagos corridor—a six-lane motorway spanning approximately 1,080 kilometers across five ECOWAS member countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. As part of this inter-regional transport development, eight border posts will be built along the corridor, reflecting border architecture as a direct architectural response to this significant infrastructure project.
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Firstly, these avenues of border architecture should be seen as a unique opportunity, not mere additions to the project. As official entrances to countries, they could be celebrated with distinctive building forms or spatial experiences that reflect the new cultural space one has entered. For example, the Canadian plaza at Peace Bridge by NORR features a border crossing characterized as a ceremonial gate. It's marked by a spanning wooden roof structure over the vehicular crossing, inspired by the appearance of an upturned native canoe. This architecture, with its strong historical reference, presents "a new Canadian image of confidence and sophistication" to newcomers. The project demonstrates that elements of border architecture can be celebrated and uniquely designed, offering opportunities for cultural expression.
Furthermore, the current alignment of these highway corridors cuts across major economic centers and capital cities within the five countries, such as the Place de la République in Abidjan and Mile 2 (Eric Moore) in Lagos. These corridors will act as trade routes where border markets will emerge, ultimately expanding and presenting a unique opportunity for architectural design. Border markets are typically local informal markets sustained by local entrepreneurs, intended for the exchange of locally grown or manufactured products. As these markets expand with the development of the highways, there will be a need for a transitory market architecture that can respond and adapt to the flexible needs of border traders and the transport schedules within the corridors.
Another crucial factor in developing border markets is their ability to combine trading and production activities. As market places, African border markets are intimately linked to the trade flows in raw materials, commodities, and services that connect the globalized world. Border markets can thus be seen as convergence points for the transnational movements of goods, culture, and people.
Border regions are crucial sites of regional connectivity, as evidenced by the flow between markets. A unique manifestation of this connectivity in Africa is cross-border festivals, where areas around transport corridors transform into spaces celebrating cultural exchange. Two notable examples are the annual "Benin Ouidah Voodoo Festival" on the Ghana-Togo border and the "Gerewol Festival" on the Chad-Cameroon border. These events foster reflection on historical and cultural ties, offering participants a rare chance to interact with state officials in distinctive settings. From an architectural perspective, these festivals present an exceptional opportunity to create stages where border dwellers can express themselves in unprecedented ways.
Additionally, considering this highway project will primarily be vehicular-based at its inception, supplementary architectural opportunities such as motels (road accommodations), service stations, and storage spaces will be essential. These services will enable the efficient transportation of people and goods through the highway corridor. The construction of the first phase of the Trans-West African Coastal Highway has seen laudable progress so far. It is currently being built in three phases: a 295km stretch from Abidjan to Takoradi in Ghana; a 466km section from Takoradi to Akanu, also in Ghana; and a final 320km route to Lagos, passing through Lomé in Togo and Porto-Novo in Benin.
However, the project has faced public criticism regarding its impact on the coastal environment, the absence of a publicly presented Environmental Impact Assessment, and inadequate eco-friendly measures to protect coastal ecosystems. These concerns must be addressed by the independent national governments and ECOWAS to ensure the coastal highway develops as a sustainable project without adverse effects on these coastal regions.
On the bright side, the development of this coastal highway is set to democratize the coastal environment, including waterways and beachsides, making them accessible to the public. In many instances, such as in Lagos, these areas are currently private properties accessible to only a few. This is why it's of major importance to include coastal urban regeneration in the development of the Trans-West African Highway. This will encompass pedestrian paths, cycling spaces, open social spaces, recreational facilities, and many more architectural opportunities that will create significant social and economic restructuring of the coastal areas.
Consequently, the Trans-West African Coastal Highway has the potential to not only solve the region's transportation issues but also serve as a catalyst for cultural exchange, social integration, and coastal regeneration through thoughtful architectural interventions.
