(Business in Cameroon) – In a letter dated September 16, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, Cameroon’s Minister of Public Works, requested the support of the Minister of Economy to secure funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the road construction project in the East region. The project aims to pave the Batouri-Kika road, with CFA158.8 billion earmarked for the Ngoura II-Yokadouma section and CFA200 billion for the Yokadouma-Moloundou stretch, extending to Kika at the Congo-Brazzaville border. The total amount sought is CFA358 billion.
The 156-kilometer Ngoura II-Yokadouma segment is vital for improving access to agricultural production areas and boosting the economy of the East region. It will also ease the transportation of mining and forestry products from surrounding areas and neighboring countries, including the Central African Republic, Congo, and Chad.
However, the cost could have been lowered by CFA20 billion if not for the need to build a bridge over the Kadey River between Epi and Mobéso villages. The project is planned to take 36 months and will be divided into five sections. The presence of the bridge is seen as a key challenge, requiring a study before work can begin.
Security concerns also loom. Engineers warn that political instability in the Central African Republic could impact the project’s viability. The Yokadouma-Kika stretch, passing through Moloundou and Nguilili, is expected to boost agricultural and forestry production while helping combat poverty in the region. This 269-kilometer segment is divided into three parts: Yokadouma-Moloundou (212.6 km), Nguilili-Kika (56 km), and a one-kilometer access road to the Ngoko River.
