How a road could change West Africa's urban future

NPR | By Emmanuel Akinwotu,

Danielle A. Scruggs, Rahul Mukherjee

Published August 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT

Lagos Island is home to one of the city's largest wholesale marketplaces.

A 600-mile journey along the shores of Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast reveals one of the world's most consequential transformations.

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Emmanuel Akinwotu

Emmanuel Akinwotu is an international correspondent for NPR.

Danielle A. Scruggs

Danielle A. Scruggs (she/her) is a visuals editor at NPR, covering national and politics stories.

Rahul Mukherjee

Rahul Mukherjee is a senior graphics reporter at NPR, where he reports data and visually driven stories.

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