(Business in Cameroon) – The CFA230 bln project aims to transform Cameroon’s logistics and industrial capacity, creating up to 500,000 jobs.
Highlights
- Phase one: 100-ha logistics zone over 24 months, worth CFA160 bln
- Phase two: 350-ha industrial port zone to follow over 36 months
- Project aligns with Cameroon’s National Development Strategy 2020–2030
Cameroon has launched construction of a new 500-hectare industrial zone near Douala, following a partnership between the Indian group Arise and the Port Autonome de Douala (PAD). Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute chaired the ceremony on July 24, 2025, at the site on the banks of the Dibamba River.
The CFA230 billion project will unfold in two phases. The first phase, led by the Dibamba Douala Port Logistics Platform (DDLP)—a joint venture between PAD and Arise IIP—will develop a 100-hectare multimodal logistics hub over two years. Estimated at CFA160 billion, this phase will include road, rail, and river infrastructure as well as warehouse facilities, and is projected to create 15,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The second, 36-month phase will focus on building a 350-hectare industrial port zone, including agro-industrial units, a timber park, and a fishing port. It is valued at CFA70 billion.
Speaking at the launch, Prime Minister Ngute called the project “a major turning point in Cameroon’s economic history.” It is expected to create up to 500,000 jobs and contribute to building an industrial ecosystem and multimodal transport hub connected to the Douala port and hinterland via the Dibamba River and railway links.
The initiative forms part of Cameroon’s National Development Strategy (SND 20–30), which seeks to boost industrialization and ease pressure on the Douala port system.
This article was initially published in French by Frédéric Nonos
Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho
