Evaluating the Relationships between Transportation Infrastructure and Regional Economic Activity: Evidence from the Port of Abidjan in West Africa

This research paper aims to study the correlation between the transportation infrastructure and regional economic activity. It emphasizes on the seaport activity and the activities of the different services sectors. By comparing trends between them and analyzing the causality relationships between the port traffic and the other economic sectors, our study tends to present how the activity of the Port of Abidjan could have a decisive effect not only on the local economy but also on West Africa regional economy especially in the WAEMU zone. To meet our objectives, correlation analysis and statistical test tools Eviews and other techniques have been run with data provided by local transport agencies and port authority. By doing so, our research study found that there is existing correlation between port activity as an economic infrastructure and the activities generated by the other services sectors and its contribution can accelerate the regional economic growth.