Abuja, 9 November 2026 – A delegation of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO), led by Dr Temitope Ilori, Chairperson of the ALCO Steering Committee and Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), and accompanied by Dr Hortense ME, Executive Secretary of ALCO, was received by H.E. General Birame Diop, President of the ECOWAS Commission, in Abuja.

Established in 2002 at the initiative of the Heads of State of the five Corridor countries, ALCO is an intergovernmental organization whose mandate, initially focused on HIV/AIDS, has progressively expanded to cover cross-border health, trade and transport facilitation, free movement, road safety and border hygiene.

During the meeting, Dr Temitope Ilori highlighted ALCO’s mandate, its role in advancing regional priorities and opportunities to strengthen its partnership with ECOWAS.

Dr Hortense ME presented the Organization’s operational capacities, including its eight Border Intervention Units, digital tools and data collection activities on trade and transport facilitation indicators. She also announced the commencement of a new round of data collection on 9 November 2026.

The data are expected to assess the performance of the Corridor, individual countries, and border crossings, offering ECOWAS and its Member States an evidence base to support informed decision-making.

Recognizing the strategic importance of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor to regional integration, the President of the ECOWAS Commission encouraged sustained engagement between the two institutions to strengthen their cooperation further.

As ALCO approaches its 25th anniversary in 2027, the Organization reaffirms its commitment to leveraging its expertise and operational capacities to advance regional integration.