The African Development Bank ( AfDB ) Group has approved additional financing of US$76.37 million for a road infrastructure programme in Somalia.

The funding package comprises US$49.16 million from the African Development Fund, the bank's concessional lending window, and US$27.21 million from the Transition Support Facility, which supports countries experiencing fragility and conflict.

The funding supports a key component of the Horn of Africa corridor project, improving connectivity between Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia. It will primarily upgrade two strategic road sections: a 15-kilometre stretch connecting Zeila to Asha Addo in Somaliland, and a 22-kilometre section from Beled Weyne to Kalabeyr in Hirshabelle State. The goal is to stimulate cross-border trade, strengthen regional integration, and reduce fragility within the region.

Mike Salawou, the bank group’s director of infrastructure and urban development, says the request for additional financing stems from an expansion of the project’s initial scope.

“The programme has evolved from minimal interventions to full road upgrades, enabled by improved designs and the integration of new components, including bridges, additional road sections, and trade facilitation measures, social infrastructure to maximize the benefit for the local community,” Salawou says.