- A new 900-kilometre navigation corridor linking Saint-Louis in Senegal to Ambidédi in Mali is due to launch in April 2026.
- With an $800 million investment in river ports and infrastructure that could cut cross-border logistics costs by 60%, the project will give landlocked Mali access to the Atlantic.
- Mali’s economy is heavily reliant on gold exports (around 80% of total exports) and remains structurally constrained by its landlocked position, inefficient land transport, strained regional relations, and limited navigability of the Niger and Senegal rivers.
The construction of a new navigation corridor connecting the port of Saint-Louis in Senegal with Ambidédi in Mali is set to launch in April 2026, providing Mali access to the Atlantic.
The corridor would constitute a nearly 900-kilometre distance, expected to reduce logistical costs associated with cross-border trade by 60%. With an estimated budget of $800 million, it would involve constructing modern river ports and access structures.
This will lower trade barriers for Mali and neighbouring states, while reducing West African dependency on Western exports.
The Senegal River basin is shared by Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, and Guinea, under the Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS) governance framework; the OMVS is supporting this project.
Mali has long been considered to have a systemic trade deficit, with an overreliance on imports. In the second quarter of 2025, its trade deficit was recorded at 377 billion West African CFA francs (XOF), around $677 million.
Mali’s biggest export destinations are South Africa, Switzerland, and Australia are its biggest export destinations. Its primary export is gold, accounting for nearly 80% of its total exports.
Shipments are reliant on ports in the region, largely the port of Dakar in Senegal, as well as Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, the port of Tema in Ghana, and Lome port in Togo.
Although Mali is connected to its neighbours by paved roads, particularly from its capital Bamako, and a railroad track that runs from Koulikoro, land transport is inefficient. Inland water transport through the country’s two major rivers, the Niger and the Senegal River, would be crucial – but neither river is accessible to Mali.
The Niger River is navigable for small boats throughout the year and for larger vessels from July to January. However, Malian access to the river is strained due to geopolitical tensions.
Mali has been suspended from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since 2023, after it vowed to militarily defend the sanctioned country of Niger. Given its dependency on its neighbours, severed political ties hindered Mali’s waterway access.
The Senegal River, on the other hand, was navigable in the early 20th century, with 125,000 tonnes being transported through it annually – particularly groundnuts, cotton, and food crops. But since 1972, a severe drought and poor maintenance of the river bed has made navigation difficult.
Therefore, despite its global prominence in gold mining and its open trade policy, which it has maintained for nearly three decades by eliminating legal and regulatory barriers for foreign investment, Mali’s landlocked position serves as a significant barrier to its participation in global trade, contributing to its place as one of the poorest countries in the world.
According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), being landlocked means goods take longer to reach their destination, overseas shipments have to cross another country’s borders first, and climate financing remains limited, even though landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) are disproportionately located in drylands, which are hit the hardest by climate change.This project could increase Mali’s access to overseas markets exponentially, while growing foreign investment in the country, furthering its development. It also aligns with the Alliance of Sahel States’ (AES) efforts – which Mali is a part of – to reduce dependency on Western states, while increasing regional integration.
