Cabo Verde: African Development Bank Group President Inaugurates Porto Inglês in Maio
The President of the African Development Bank Group, Mr. Akinwumi Adesina, who visited Cabo Verde, at the invitation of the Cabo Verdean Prime Minister, José Ulisses Correia e Silva, for a period of three days, inaugurated the modernised Porto Inglês in Maio on Wednesday, 7 September 2022.
With a total value of €36 million, the Porto Inglês in Maio Modernisation Project, had been approved in 2018, by the African Development Bank Group with a €17.87 million facility for not only the improvement of the port facilities of Inglês but also those of Palmeira in Sal. The Bank’s strategic partner, the European Union, provided €11 million in support, while the Cabo Verde government’s share of the funding was €7.8 million.
The modernisation of the Porto Inglês in Maio consisted of the rehabilitation and repair of defects found on the existing quay which is 350 metres long and 15 metres wide, the construction of two roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) ramps and their accesses, the construction of a 150 metre-long breakwater dike, the rehabilitation and extension of the port embankment to transform it into a storage area and protect it against marine erosion, and the upgrading of the 0.8 km access road leading to the port.
According to Prime Minister José Ulisses de Pina Correia e Silva : “An investment like this brings rapid changes to livelihoods and transforms economies. It will connect Maio with the rest of the country and the world.”
The growth of maritime transport is essential for this West African country, given its geographical location.
The benefits of this modernisation will be an increase in port traffic, a reduction in port transit times, an improvement in the supply of basic necessities and improvement of community living conditions on Maio Island.
When the Palmeira leg of the project is completed, both ports will significantly transform the economy of Cabo Verde. Annual passenger traffic is expected to increase by 34%, from 41,700 to over 55,000 in 2024. Merchandise traffic will also rise by 184%, from 150,900 to 429,000 tons.
