IN 2005, the Abidjan- Lagos Corridor Organisation (ALCO), funded by the World Bank, began collecting data on the extent of road harassment along the 1,022 kilometre route that connects the Ivoirian capital to the region’s largest city, Lagos.

ALCO’s work also involved extensive outreach to people along the corridor to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.
The most recent data collection work shows that there is still much work to be done in the area of trade and transport facilitation on the Abidjan-Lagos corridor which is by far the busiest in the region; but unfortunately, it is probably the worst as far as harassment is concerned.

Checkpoints — more specifically the harassment that occurs at them — are impeding trade in West Africa. They make trade unpredictable and more costly. But they are not a new problem.

ALCO for example has developed close ties with public officials in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. These relationships enable information sharing and create opportunities for dialogue.

The concern with preventing the spread of STI/HIV/AIDS brings others into the discussion on road harassment. A broad general debate about road harassment — and what could be done to address it – is critical to eradicating it.

ALCO’s work involves collecting data from drivers about the harassment they experience.
ALCO’s mission also includes reducing the prevalence of STI/HIV/AIDS along the corridor. Studies show that transit drivers’ sexual behavior is one means for the spread of HIV.

In effect, when drivers are delayed at checkpoints, there are more opportunities for risky sexual encounters. Working with health officials and community mobilization organizations, ALCO has conducted dozens of awareness campaigns in the communities and through the mass media reaching tens of thousands of people.