• Mali to invest $322M in 2025 to upgrade 20,000 km of roads under its Road Maintenance Program
• Aims to boost security, reduce transport costs, and enhance regional trade links

Mali plans to boost domestic mobility, security, and investment appeal through its ambitious Road Maintenance Program (PER). The program has a budget of nearly 182 billion CFA francs, about $322.3 million, for 2025.

According to authorities, improving the road network, a key driver of growth, extends beyond technical aspects. It will also bolster state presence and security deployments in unstable regions, particularly in central and northern Mali.

Among the PER 2025 priorities is the renovation of over 20,000 kilometers of roads, including national highways and rural tracks. Planned work involves routine maintenance to prevent surface deterioration, rehabilitation of severely damaged sections, and infrastructure protection against climate change effects, especially flooding.

These efforts are expected to cut transport costs, food prices, and commercial margins, while improving the profitability of agricultural value chains. Additional ripple effects are also anticipated in tourism and manufacturing. Rehabilitating strategic sections should also allow faster access to high-tension areas, helping to curb the expansion of armed groups.

Work on the network also aims to strengthen road corridors, especially toward Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso. This will enhance Mali's connectivity, a major asset in the context of sub-regional logistics reconfiguration.

Achieving these objectives will depend on rigorous program execution, transparent governance of public procurement, and effective coordination with local authorities and technical partners.

Henoc Dossa