The Trans-Saharan Highway project, set to deliver a major boost to economic cooperation and commercial trade between Algeria and five other African nations, took center stage during a high-level assembly of the Liaison Committee managing this monumental regional infrastructure.
At the launch of the 77th session of the Trans-Saharan Highway Liaison Committee (TRLC), chaired on Monday in Algiers by the Minister of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure, Abdelkader Djellaoui, Algeria reaffirmed its unwavering dedication to supporting and reinforcing this strategic initiative. The project is designed to connect Tunisia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad, all of whose representatives attended the gathering. The assembly focused deeply on the future of this sprawling continental network, which is poised to evolve into a fully operational economic corridor linking the six African nations and deepening regional integration.
In his opening remarks, the minister highlighted that this continental endeavor goes far beyond mere road construction, establishing itself as a genuine driver for African economic integration. According to Djellaoui, the Trans-Saharan Highway serves as a foundational axis built to optimize connectivity among African nations, streamline trade, stimulate investments, and ease the cross-border movement of commodities and individuals.
Mr. Djellaoui observed that this 77th gathering represents a crucial milestone for reviewing project advancement, emphasizing the shared resolve of the participant states to convert the highway corridor into an active hub for commercial and economic exchanges.
The minister drew attention to the strategic value of this infrastructure in backing joint development initiatives and realizing the targets of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He subsequently urged partners to expedite construction on the remaining uncompleted segments in certain member countries, while boosting technical collaboration and knowledge sharing across borders.
The upcoming phase, he noted, must shift focus toward finishing the lingering structural works while simultaneously upgrading the management, maintenance, and operational frameworks of the transit corridor to ensure its long-term durability and performance. Furthermore, Mr. Djellaoui underscored Algeria’s ongoing initiatives to construct a comprehensive network of supporting infrastructure, pointing to expanded road, rail, logistical, energy, and telecommunications networks. These integrated systems collectively solidify the country’s standing as a prime gateway to Africa and a pivotal regional trade hub.
With this objective in mind, Algiers is actively advancing a strategic rail network designed to bridge the northern and southern halves of the country. A core component is the upcoming Algiers-Tamanrasset line, envisioned as a natural structural extension to the Trans-Saharan Highway. This rail initiative aims to streamline transit corridors, foster new investments, and link landlocked inland territories to broader African marketplaces through domestic seaports, which are currently undergoing major expansions and modernization to maximize logistical throughput.
Mr. Djellaoui emphasized that this strategic trajectory perfectly mirrors the broader economic framework championed by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, which prioritizes large-scale, continentally minded structural assets to secure cohesive African economic alignment.
Speaking at the event, the General Secretary of the Trans-Saharan Highway Liaison Committee, Mohamed Ould Mohamedy, stated that these biannual sessions offer an excellent diagnostic tool to monitor construction benchmarks in each respective nation. He revealed that the overall completion rate of the highway has now surpassed 90%, proving the remarkable progress achieved on this massive continental undertaking. Building on this momentum, Mr. Djellaoui called for a closer closing of ranks among member nations to finalize the remaining road sections and initiate a new operational era centered on the practical economic exploitation of the Trans-Saharan corridor.