Trans-Sahelian Highway
Encyclopedia
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
project to pave
Pavement (material)
Road surface or pavement is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past cobblestones and granite setts were extensively used, but these surfaces have mostly been replaced by asphalt or concrete. Such...
, improve and ease border formalities on a highway route through the southern fringes of the Sahel
Sahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
region in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
between Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
in the west and Ndjamena, Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, in the east. Alternative names for the highway are the Dakar-Ndjamena Highway or Ndjamena-Dakar Highway and it is Trans-African Highway 5 in the Trans-African Highway network
Trans-African Highway network
The Trans-African Highway network comprises transcontinental road projects in Africa being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa , the African Development Bank , and the African Union in conjunction with regional international communities...
.
The highway passes though seven countries and five national capitals, and links regions of similar climate and environment which have cultural and trade links going back centuries. It is one of two east-west transnational links in West Africa and runs inland from and, for most of its length, roughly parallel to the Trans–West African Coastal Highway with a separation of about 900 km.
Overall features, length and condition
The Trans-Sahelian Highway has a length of about 4500 km running through Senegal, MaliMali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, and the far northern tip of Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, ending at Ndjamena just inside the western border of Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
. All but about 775 km, mostly in western Mali, has been paved, but extensive sections elsewhere require rehabilitation or are currently under reconstruction. Most of the route uses existing national highways, but an optional route requires construction of a completely new road between Senegal and Mali.
Detail of sections
The cities and countries served, and status of the road are as follows (going east):- In Senegal, Dakar to TambacoundaTambacoundaTambacounda is the largest city in eastern Senegal, southeast of Dakar, and is the Regional capital of the province of the same name. Its estimated population in 2007 was 78,800.-Geography:...
, 462 km, paved, 315 km in poor condition; this road has been paved for several decades. - Linking Senegal and Mali between Tambacounda and BamakoBamakoBamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
, two options were proposed in the 2003 consultants' report:- a shorter more direct southern route via Saraya and KitaKita, MaliKita is a town and commune in western Mali. It lies on the eastern slope of Mount Kita , known for its caves and rock paintings. Today, the city is known for its music, its annual Roman Catholic pilgrimage and its role as a processing center for the surrounding cotton- and peanut-growing region...
, about 825 km, using about 300 km of road paved in the 1990s of which most was in good condition, and requiring construction of 345 km of new road and the paving of 180 km of earth road; - a longer northern route of about 910 km via KayesKayesKayes is a city in western Mali on the Sénégal River, with a population of roughly 100,000 people. Kayes is the capital of the administrative region of the same name. The name "Kayes" comes from the Soninké word "karré", which describes a low humid place that floods in rainy season...
, Diéma and Didjeni, utilising national roads of Mali which are paved.
- a shorter more direct southern route via Saraya and Kita
- In south-eastern Mail, Bamako to SikassoSikassoSikasso is a city in the south of Mali and the capital of the Sikasso Region. With 130,700 residents, Sikasso recently passed Ségou to become Mali's second-largest city.-Geography:...
via BougouniBougouniBougouni is a commune and city in Mali, the administrative center of Bougouni Cercle, which is in turn found in the administrative region of Sikasso. Bougouni is located 170 km south of Bamako and 210 km west of the city of Sikasso...
, 374 km, paved before 1990 and in fair condition. - Sikasso to Koloko at the Burkina Faso border, paved and in fair condition.
- Burkina Faso section: 862 km via Bobo-DioulassoBobo-DioulassoBobo-Dioulasso is a city with a population of about 435,543 , the second largest city in Burkina Faso, Africa, after Ouagadougou, the nation's capital. The name means literally, "home of the Jula who speak Bobo," and is possibly a creation of the French who misunderstood the identity complexities...
, OuagadougouOuagadougouOuagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
, KoupélaKoupélaKoupéla is a city in Burkina Faso, lying east of Ouagadougou and west of Fada-Ngourma in an area settled by the Mossi people. It is known for its pottery and sculptures; these were made from natural clays found in the area....
, and Fada Ngourma, paved and in good condition except for 120 km paved section before the Niger border, due to be rehabilitated in 2003-5; - Niger section: 837 km of which 600 km was in poor condition, via NiameyNiamey-Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city...
, DossoDosso, NigerDosso is a town in the south-west corner of Niger. It lies 130–140 km south-east of the capital Niamey at the junction of the main routes to Zinder and Benin. The seventh most populous town in Niger and the largest in Dosso Region, it had an official population during the 2001 census of 43,561...
, DogondoutchiDogondoutchiDogondoutchi is a city located in the east of the Dosso Region of Niger. With a population of 29,244 , Dogondoutchi is the largest city in and administrative center of the Dogondoutchi department, the easternmost section of Dosso Region....
, Birnin-Konni and Maradi to the Nigerian border at Jibiya. - Nigeria section: 972 km, all paved and in fair condition, via KatsinaKatsinaKatsina is a city , and a Local Government Area in northern Nigeria, and is the capital of Katsina State. Katsina is located some 160 miles east of the city of Sokoto, and 84 miles northwest of Kano, close to the border with Niger. As of 2007, Katsina's estimated population was 459,022...
, KanoKanoKano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
, Kari, MaiduguriMaiduguriMaiduguri, also fondly called Yerwa by its locals, is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River which disappears into the Firki swamps in the areas around Lake Chad...
and Dikwa. - The short Cameroon section consists of an 85 km unpaved gravel road from the Nigerian border to Maltam which is impassable in the wet season; as this road is not used by local traffic to any extent, Cameroon has no plans to upgrade it. The 25 km section from Maltam to KousseriKoussériKousséri is a city in Far North Province, Cameroon, lying on the border with Chad, across the Chari River from N'Djamena. It is the capital of the Logone-et-Chari department. It is a market town, and its population has recently been swollen by refugees from Chad. It had a population of 89,123 at...
at the Chad border is paved and is used mainly by Chadian traffic. - Chad: the highway runs only a few kilometres into Chad, to the outskirts of the capital Ndjamena which is situated on the eastern banks of the Logone and Chari RiverChari RiverThe Chari or Shari River is a 949-kilometer-long river of central Africa. It flows from the Central African Republic through Chad into Lake Chad, following the Cameroon border from N'Djamena, where it joins the Logone River waters....
s which form the Cameroon-Chad border.
Alternative routes at the eastern end:
- the alternative to the unpaved section through Cameroon is a route which adds about 200 km on paved roads via Bama in Nigeria and MoraMora, CameroonMora is a town in northern Cameroon. The German fort of Mora was the last German fort in Cameroon to surrender during World War I. After a long time under blockade by allied forces, Captain von Raben and his men surrenderd to the allied forces on February 20, 1916, over a year after the rest of the...
and Waza in Cameroon. - an alternative route of about 1400 km between Niger and Chad, by-passing Nigeria, will be possible when a proposed new road around the north and east of Lake ChadLake ChadLake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
is built connecting Ndjamena to Nguigmi which is about 60 km inside Niger. Nguigmi is connected by a paved road via ZinderZinderZinder is the second largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 by 2005 was estimated to be over 200,000...
to Maradi where it meets the Trans-Sahelian Highway.
Links to other transnational highways
The Trans-Sahelian Highway intersects with the following Trans-African Highways:- the Cairo-Dakar HighwayCairo-Dakar HighwayThe Cairo–Dakar Highway is Trans-African Highway 1 in the transcontinental road network being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa , the African Development Bank , and the African Union...
in Dakar - the Trans–West African Coastal Highway in Dakar
- the Trans-Sahara HighwayTrans-Sahara HighwayThe Trans-Sahara Highway is a transnational highway project to pave, improve and ease border formalities on an existing trade route across the Sahara Desert...
in KanoKanoKano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
, Nigeria - the Ndjamena-Djibouti HighwayNdjamena-Djibouti HighwayThe Ndjamena-Djibouti Highway is Trans-African Highway 6 in the transcontinental road network being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa , the African Development Bank , and the African Union, connecting the Sahelian region to the Indian Ocean port of Djibouti in the...
in Ndjamena, with which it will form a complete east-west crossing of the continent of 8715 km.
The northern regions of Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
, and Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
are close to the Trans-Sahelian Highway, which may be used to by travellers between those regions in preference to the Trans–West African Coastal Highway further south. Paved roads connect the Trans-Sahelian and West African Coastal Highways through
- Côte d'Ivoire (Sikassa or Bobo-Dioulasso to YamoussoukroYamoussoukroThe District of Yamoussoukro is the official political capital and administrative capital city of Côte d'Ivoire, while the economic capital of the country is Abidjan. As of 2010, it was estimated to have 242,744 inhabitants...
) - Ghana (Ouagadougou to AccraAccraAccra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
) - Togo (Koupela to LoméLoméLomé, with an estimated population of 737,751, is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels...
) - Benin (Dosso to CotonouCotonou-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
) - Nigeria (Birnin-Konni or Kano to LagosLagosLagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
).
See also
- Trans–West African Coastal Highway
- Trans-Sahara HighwayTrans-Sahara HighwayThe Trans-Sahara Highway is a transnational highway project to pave, improve and ease border formalities on an existing trade route across the Sahara Desert...
- Trans-African Highway networkTrans-African Highway networkThe Trans-African Highway network comprises transcontinental road projects in Africa being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa , the African Development Bank , and the African Union in conjunction with regional international communities...