Written by: Badr Ahmed

The President of the Republic of Guinea received the “Super Grand Builder” award as part of the Babacar Ndiaye Awards for 2026, which is granted by the “African Road Builders” organization, during a ceremony held at the Kintele International Conference Centre, on the sidelines of the 61st Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank.

The award was given in recognition of the major infrastructure projects implemented by Guinea under the “Simando Vision 2040” program, which aims to strengthen transport networks, stimulate economic development and improve connectivity between different regions within the country, in line with the goals of regional integration in the African continent.

An African award recognizes Guinea's rise as an influential player in continental integration projects.

The Guinean president was represented at the ceremony by the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Ismail Nabi, who accepted the award on his behalf, expressing his country's pride in this continental recognition.

He stressed that the award represents recognition of the development vision implemented by the government through the “SIMANDO 2040” program, noting that the project has become a model for major integrated projects in Africa.

Nabi added that his country looks forward to expanding the scope of these projects and developing similar initiatives that contribute to supporting economic development, improving infrastructure and enhancing investment opportunities, stressing that what has been achieved so far represents an important step towards achieving long-term national development goals.

The ceremony also honored a number of African figures and institutions working in the infrastructure and transport sector, including the Director General of the Road Maintenance Fund in Guinea, Hamidou Sylla, and the Director General of the Road Company in Côte d'Ivoire, Fabrice Coulibaly, along with other officials who contributed to the development of transport and urban development projects on the continent.

For his part, the Commissioner General of the African Road Builders Organization, Barthélémy Kouamé, explained that roads and transport infrastructure are a fundamental pillar for achieving economic integration between African countries, promoting trade and investment, and reducing developmental disparities between regions.

The award is named after the late Babacar Ndiaye, who served as president of the African Development Bank from 1985 to 1995 and was a leading advocate for infrastructure projects on the continent. It has been awarded annually for over a decade to honor leaders and institutions that contribute to advancing African development and integration.