By HAN News Desk
MOGADISHU – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $76.37 million in additional financing for the Somali Road Infrastructure Project, which is a key component of the Horn of Africa Trade Corridor project connecting Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia.
This new funding consists of $49.16 million from the African Development Fund (ADF) and $27.21 million from the Transition Support Fund (TSF), which supports countries affected by fragility and conflict.
The bank said that this program aims to improve transport connectivity within Somalia and strengthen its ties with neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa, with the project seeking to stimulate cross-border trade, strengthen regional integration, and reduce vulnerability along key transport corridors in the region.
The AfDB Group Director for Infrastructure and Urban Development, Mike Salawou, said the request for additional funding was a result of the expansion of the initial project scope. The new funding will be used specifically to upgrade two strategic roads, namely a 15-kilometer road connecting Zeylac and Asha Addo in Somaliland, and a 22-kilometer road connecting Beledweyne and Kalabeyr in Hirshabelle State.
According to the Bank’s press release, in addition to road construction, the project also includes development and community resilience programs to improve access to basic services, such as drilling water wells, renovating educational facilities to convert them into skills development centers, building markets and storage facilities, and renovating health centers.
The African Development Bank said the expanded program is expected to significantly improve the livelihoods of communities living along transport corridors, and strengthen Somalia’s role in trade and connectivity in the Horn of Africa region.
