COMOROS – The African Development Bank Group has approved its largest-ever grant to the Union of the Comoros, amounting to USD 135 million, to support a significant maritime and trade project.

This initiative aims to modernize and expand the country’s key ports and enhance regional trade.

The funding will be used for the Maritime Corridor and Regional Trade Facilitation Project (PACMFCR), which focuses on upgrading two crucial ports: Moroni and Boingoma.

According to a statement from the bank, the grant includes USD 133 million from the African Development Fund and an additional USD 2 million from the Transition Support Facility, designated for transitional states.

“The project, recently approved by our Board of Directors, aims to increase the capacity and efficiency of the ports of Moroni and Boingoma to meet current and future needs,” said Nnenna Nwabufo, Director General for Eastern Africa at the African Development Bank Group.

She added that the initiative would bolster local value chains in fisheries and agriculture, enhance inter-island and regional trade, and improve the living conditions of the Comorian people. “It will also reduce Comoros’ vulnerability to climate change,” Nwabufo noted.

The Comoros archipelago, consisting of Grande Comores, Anjouan, and Mohéli, relies heavily on maritime transport, with approximately 90 percent of freight moving by sea.

The project will significantly upgrade the ports’ infrastructure, including a new 240-meter quay at Moroni and a 136-meter quay at Boingoma.

In addition to the physical port expansions, the project will support the modernization of customs administration, establish a national single window for trade and business facilitation, and create a special economic zone to streamline import and export logistics.

This ambitious project will be co-financed by several institutions, including the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Agence Française de Développement.

These partnerships underscore the project’s importance for enhancing the Comoros’ trade capabilities and economic development.

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