West Africa railway loop

Overview:

• West Africa railway loop.
• The West Africa railway loop is project to develop a railway that will run through Niamey in Niger, Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire, Cotonou in Benin and Lomé in Togo. 
• The railway has been conceived to help revive the mining sector in West Africa by linking mining hubs and ports. 
• The states of Benin and Niger have finalised terms for the construction and operation of the project's first stage - a 1050 km single metric railway line between Niger's capital Niamey and the port of Cotonou in Benin. 
• This first stage is being funded by French investment group Bolloré, which financing the deal with loans. 

John Crabb - Journalist