Presidents Theodoro Obiang Nguéma of Equatorial Guinea and Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo Brazzaville won the Grand Builder Super Prize – Babacar Ndiaye Trophy 2024 edition for major highway development works in their respective countries.
The two heads of state, all from the Central African region, were unanimously elected by a group of around twenty African media including Gabonactu.com during a vote whose results were revealed Thursday at the hotel Millennium central downtown in Dubai, capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai is hosting from April 17 to 21, 2024 the inaugural conference of the African road builders – Babacar Ndiaye Trophy (ARB), the organization which has been awarding this prize for 9 years now with the support of the African Development Bank (AfDB). . The work takes place under the theme: “ quality of road infrastructure and development in Africa ».
Theodoro Obiang Nguéma and Denis Sassou Nguesso succeed Marc Ravalomanana of Madagascar, winner of this prestigious prize in 2023, the aim of which is to encourage the continent’s leaders who are carrying out major road development works in their country in order to boost sustainable development and the fight against extreme poverty in rural areas.
“The selection committee extends its congratulations to the two presidents,” underlines the ARB press release.
The committee rewarded the Equatorial Guinean president for the Batta – Mongomo highways (220 km in 2×2 lanes) and many other internal roads which have made it possible to streamline traffic, limit the suffering of the populations and avoid Dutch disease in the country. or the curse of black gold.
Denis Sassou Nguesso, for his part, was awarded an award for the Pointe-Noire Brazzaville highway (535 km) and other projects connecting Congo with its neighbors Gabon and Cameroon.
The prize is awarded in memory of Dr Babacar Nndiaye, former President of the AfDB, hence the AfDB group’s support for this continental initiative.
Theodoro Obiang Nguéma and Denis Sassou Nguesso will receive their prize on May 30 in Nairobi on the sidelines of the AfDB Annual Meetings, declared the Commissioner General of the ARB, Barthélemy Kouamé who is also Director of the pan-African magazine Acturoutes.
The inaugural 2024 conference in Dubai saw the participation of several donors such as the ADB (official partner), BADEA and Afreximbank. There was also a strong participation of companies specializing in road construction and the supply of quality bitumen. These include Ageroute (Ivory Coast), Porteo BTP (Ivory Coast), Rubis Asphalt (Dubai).
Yves Laurent GOMA, special correspondent in Dubai
2024-04-19 14:53:37
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