Togbe Afede XIV Signs MOU for Apemenyim–Daboase Road PPP at TICAD 9

Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, has led Ghana into another landmark international partnership with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Integrated Apemenyim–Daboase Road Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Project.

This major step, taken on August 21, 2025, during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, Japan, cements a global consortium’s commitment to delivering one of Ghana’s most strategic infrastructure initiatives.

At the signing ceremony, where he represented Strategic Initiatives Limited (SIL), Togbe Afede highlighted the socio-economic importance of the road project and reaffirmed the dedication of SIL and its partners to its successful realization. The agreement brings together Index Consulting, Inc. (Japan), Maeda Corporation (Japan), Mota-Engil Engenharia e Construção África, S.A. (Portugal/Africa), and SIL (Ghana), establishing a strong multinational consortium under a PPP framework.

The Integrated Apemenyim–Daboase Road PPP Project seeks to develop, rehabilitate, and operate a 44-kilometre bypass between Apemenyim (Agona Junction) and Daboase in Ghana’s Western Region. This road forms part of National Route 1 (N1), which is itself the Ghanaian stretch of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor. The corridor connects five West African capitals, Abidjan, Accra, Lomé, Cotonou, and Lagos, while also serving several of the region’s busiest seaports.

Once completed, the bypass is expected to cut travel times, decongest existing stretches, and reduce accidents. It will also lower logistics costs for businesses and traders, while improving access to the Port of Takoradi, which is central to Ghana’s exports and imports. This road will not only benefit local communities but also enhance Ghana’s competitiveness in regional trade.

Origins at TICAD 8

The road project’s international trajectory can be traced back to TICAD 8, held in Tunis, Tunisia, in August 2022. It was at this event that Index Consulting, Inc., working with Maeda Corporation, signed two Memoranda of Understanding with Ghana’s Ministry of Roads and Highways.

The first agreement laid the foundation for a PPP framework for road development, while the second focused specifically on the rehabilitation of the Apemenyim–Daboase Road. These agreements represented the first steps in structuring the project as a partnership between Ghana and Japan, with a strong emphasis on private-sector involvement in national infrastructure.

JICA’s Feasibility Study

Building on the momentum from TICAD 8, the project was taken up in October 2022 by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as part of its Preparatory Survey for Private-Sector Investment Finance (PSIF). This process involved detailed studies covering technical designs, traffic demand, environmental and social safeguards, and the financial structuring required to attract private investment.

The effort culminated in the publication of a comprehensive feasibility study in March 2025, formally titled “Feasibility study for development, rehabilitation and O&M for Apemenyim–Daboase Road as an integrated PPP project.” According to the report, the bypass is economically viable, socially sustainable, and financially bankable.

The Consortium

The project is being advanced through a Special Purpose Company (SPC) that brings together diverse expertise from Japan, Europe, and Ghana. Index Consulting, Inc. provides PPP structuring and advisory, while Maeda Corporation contributes decades of experience in global engineering and construction.

Mota-Engil Engenharia e Construção África, S.A. also adds strong operational and construction capabilities across the African continent, and Strategic Initiatives Limited, under the leadership of Togbe Afede XIV, ensures that the project is firmly rooted in Ghana’s development priorities and responsive to community needs.

Strategic Importance

The Apemenyim–Daboase bypass carries significance well beyond Ghana’s Western Region. It is part of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor, the busiest transport artery in West Africa, which connects five national capitals and several major ports while serving a population of over 300 million people. An estimated 75 percent of West Africa’s trade flows along this route, making it essential to the region’s economic competitiveness.

For Ghana, the project is particularly critical. Creating a faster, safer, and more reliable road link between Apemenyim and Daboase, will ease pressure on existing stretches of the N1 and reduce congestion near the Takoradi port area. This could lower the cost of moving goods, cut delays in export shipments, and improve access for imports bound for Ghana’s Western and Ashanti regions.

The improved efficiency will directly benefit sectors such as cocoa, bauxite, manganese, oil, and agriculture, which depend heavily on road transport.

At the regional level, the project dovetails with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agenda, which seeks to remove barriers to trade and accelerate integration. By improving a key section of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor, Ghana positions itself as a strategic hub for intra-African trade and a facilitator of deeper cross-border economic ties.

Socially, the bypass is expected to improve road safety, cutting down on accidents that are common on the heavily trafficked N1. Communities along the route will benefit from better access to markets, schools, and healthcare facilities, while job creation during the construction and maintenance phases will provide opportunities for local people.

In strategic terms, the Apemenyim–Daboase project therefore represents far more than a road upgrade. It is an investment in regional competitiveness, national growth, and community well-being, while serving as a model for how Ghana can mobilize global partnerships to meet its infrastructure needs.

From its origins at TICAD 8 in Tunis to the feasibility work led by JICA, the road project has steadily progressed through important stages. By March 2025, the feasibility study confirmed its viability, setting the stage for the formal signing at TICAD 9 in Yokohama. This signing, led by Togbe Afede XIV, was a defining moment as it moved the project from concept to execution and positioned it on a global platform where African leaders, Japanese officials, and development partners meet.

Next Steps

With feasibility confirmed and the international consortium now formally committed, the project moves into its implementation phase. The immediate focus will be on achieving financial closure, completing final engineering designs, and preparing for phased construction of the 44-kilometre bypass. Once completed, the road will be managed under a PPP framework to ensure efficient operation and long-term sustainability.

The Integrated Apemenyim–Daboase Road PPP Project is not just an infrastructure upgrade but a transformative regional initiative. For Togbe Afede XIV, the initiative is both a personal and national triumph, proof that Ghana can build alliances that pave the way, quite literally, for a stronger role in Africa’s future economic integration.

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