The President of the Union of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani, has officially launched the Maritime Corridor and Regional Trade Facilitation Project on 27 October 2025 in Moroni.
The $137 million project is financed by the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), with $135 million from the African Development Fund and $2 million from the Transition Support Fund.
Co-financing partners include the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the French Development Agency, the European Union (EU), and the European Investment Bank, together contributing over $110 million.
The Global Centre for Adaptation supported climate-risk assessments for port infrastructure and adaptation options.
The project aims to modernise the Comoros’ port facilities, strengthen regional trade connectivity, and leverage the archipelago’s strategic position in the Mozambique Channel to become a logistics hub linking Africa and Asia.
President Assoumani said: “The maritime corridor we are launching today is an eloquent testimony to our ability to build a resilient nation, fully integrated into regional and continental dynamics. It is a living symbol of our openness to the world, a bridge between people, a vehicle for trade, cooperation and shared prosperity.”
READ: AfDB grants Union of the Comoros $135 million for port development
Comorian Minister of Maritime and Air Transport, Yasmine Hassane Alfeine, described the African Development Bank Group as “a loyal strategic partner whose technical and financial support consistently accompanies efforts to realise a vision of development based on sustainability, integration and infrastructure resilience.”
She added that the project marks a step toward modernising port and maritime infrastructure and the potential creation of a special economic zone.
Aligned with the Bank Group’s 2024–2033 Ten-Year Strategy, the project will support resilient infrastructure, agricultural and fisheries value chains, and create employment opportunities for young people and women.
Laté Lawson Zankli, the Bank Group’s Country Programme Advisor, noted: “This flagship project of the Comoros Emerging Plan 2030 will contribute to developing value chains in agriculture and fisheries, while creating economic opportunities for young people and women.”
In October 2024, comorian officials successfully assessed the Port of Mutsamudu on Anjouan with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) cooperation.
