(Business in Cameroon) – Australian junior miner Canyon Resources, through its local subsidiary Camalco, plans to invest $446 million (about XAF 252.6 billion) to develop the Minim Martap bauxite deposit in Cameroon’s Adamaoua region.
In a joint statement on October 6, 2025, Camalco and Camrail, Cameroon’s rail concessionaire, said that 70% of the total investment, roughly XAF 176.8 billion, will go toward rail equipment purchases, including wagons and locomotives. The equipment will move ore from Makor station in Adamaoua to the port of Douala in the Littoral region.
“To support an annual production capacity of 10 million tons of bauxite, Camalco has ordered 22 diesel locomotives from China’s CRRC and 560 open wagons from India’s Texmaco Rail & Engineering,” the partners said. “Camalco also holds an option for an additional 1,040 wagons over the next five years and has signed a 20-year maintenance contract for all rolling stock. This equipment represents more than 70% of Camalco’s total investment in the project.”
The announcement coincides with Canyon Resources’ efforts to increase its stake in Camrail, where it currently holds 9.1%. According to the Minim Martap feasibility study, the company is in talks with shareholders to raise its holding, and Interim Mines Minister Fuh Calistus Gentry has said it aims to reach 40%.
Sources close to the negotiations say the proposal, backed by Indian billionaire Gagan Gupta, has met resistance from Camrail’s long-standing shareholders, who are wary of ceding a larger share of the capital.
The planned investment underscores the crucial role of rail infrastructure in the success of the Minim Martap project. Whether these commitments will be enough to win over Camrail’s existing investors, especially if Canyon scales back its ownership ambitions, remains uncertain.
While talks continue, Canyon Resources has announced plans to begin production in early 2026. To prepare, the company will invest $7 million (about XAF 5 billion) in urgent railway repairs along key sections of the line linking Adamaoua to Douala port.
Brice R. Mbodiam
