Providing road maintenance and repair materials to improve infrastructure and accelerate economic development in Ghana and Nigeria

STANDAGE Co., Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Akinori Adachi, hereinafter referred to as Standage), which develops and provides digital trade platforms, and IKEE Co., Ltd. (Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, CEO: Shu Nishiyama, hereinafter referred to as IKEE), whose main business is road paving and which also engages in asphalt mixture manufacturing, building material sales, and technical testing, have been selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to undertake the "Project to investigate the feasibility of timely road maintenance and repair in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria) and the manufacture of road maintenance and repair materials [Excel Patch]" (hereinafter referred to as this project). In this project, Standage and IKEE will be responsible for research and technology provision for maintenance and repair, product manufacturing, and subsequent market expansion for road infrastructure, which is seen as an issue in the West African region, which is expected to grow in the future, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will provide funds for these services.

Background
As indicated in the West Africa Growth Ring Master Plan (MP), road infrastructure in West Africa is expected to continue to grow. However, existing and newly constructed roads will continue to deteriorate, and as the number of paved roads increases, the importance of maintenance and repair will also increase.

According to the "Development Cooperation Policy," Ghana is actively working on infrastructure development, such as developing ports and expanding trunk roads, with the goal of becoming a transportation hub in the West African region. Nigeria has one of the largest economies and populations in Africa, and will play an important role in the eastern end of the MP.

However, the current situation is that maintenance and repair of existing roads is not keeping up, and although on-site repair methods are inexpensive, they have issues such as restrictions on the distance from asphalt plants. From a medium- to long-term perspective, it is necessary to transition to formal repair materials, and simple and inexpensive repair products are required.

■Strengths of Standage and IKEA - Track record in the African region
IKEA's all-weather pavement repair material, "Excel Patch," was trialed in the "JICA Road Bridge Maintenance Capacity Building Project" currently being implemented in Ghana, and the product has received high praise.
Standage also supports domestic small and medium-sized enterprises in entering trade, including developing sales channels, and has expanded to four bases in the African region, which it has refocused on. In the past, it has been selected as a contractor for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' "Preliminary Survey on Grant Aid Cooperation."

In this project, IKEE will take the lead in conducting research into road maintenance and repair technologies and product manufacturing, etc., and will then utilize Standage's trade platform, local subsidiaries, local bases, etc. for subsequent market expansion and trade development.

Standage, which has a local base and local personnel in Africa and is familiar with the situation, and IKEE, which has a track record of supplying road repair materials in the African region, will work together on this project to contribute to the improvement of road infrastructure in West Africa and further economic development.

■About Aikame
Established in April 1957, the company is active in the construction industry, especially the paving industry, in Ehime Prefecture. Since then, it has established and handed over various companies, and currently owns 12 group companies. It has actively promoted overseas business from the beginning, and has a long track record of overseas work, including runway skid resistance surveys for NASA and others. Starting with 2015, it established a local subsidiary in Cambodia as part of its overseas expansion. It is targeting West Africa as its next expansion destination after Central Asia. With the management philosophy of "Never give up, never be arrogant," and as a "local doctor for infrastructure," it aims for the continuous development of the local area and its company.
Established April 1957
Representative Representative Director Shu Nishiyama
Capital: 45 million yen
URL: https://ikee.jp/

■About Standage
Established in March 2017. Opened an office in Nigeria in December of the same year, and established local subsidiaries in Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt in 2021. Provides "Digitrad," a comprehensive digital trade service that can complete all trade operations, from matching trade sellers and buyers to payment, financing, and cargo delivery. For payments with emerging countries, it has developed a safe, inexpensive, and fast payment system using blockchain and crypto assets. By combining trading company functions with tech, it aims to create a society in which domestic small and medium-sized enterprises are seamlessly connected to the rest of the world.
◇“DigiTrad” service official website: https://standage.co.jp/digitrad
Established: March 2017
Representative: President and CEO Akinori Adachi
Capital: 608,568,500 yen (including capital reserve of 302,782,500 yen)
URL: https://standage.co.jp/