Cameroon and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have agreed on a series of measures to improve the performance of jointly financed road projects, following a recent working session in Yaounde between the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, and the AfDB’s Director General for Central Africa, Léandre Bassole. Discussions focused on accelerating execution timelines for priority road infrastructure, a critical driver of trade, logistics and regional integration.
During the meeting, both parties reviewed the main factors constraining progress on road works. These include delays in the payment of certified statements, lengthy procedures for obtaining mandatory AfDB opinions, and weaknesses in the operational performance of certain project management units. It was also noted that some projects require reopening loan agreements to ensure full operationalisation. In this regard, the AfDB was invited to identify solutions to reopen closed loan agreements for the Ketta–Djoum and Bamenda–Enugu road projects, as well as ancillary works linked to the construction of the Logone River bridge, according to the Ministry of Public Works’ communication unit.
Clearing bottlenecks to accelerate project delivery
According to the ministry, the exchanges aimed to reach a shared understanding of practical measures to improve execution performance across jointly financed road projects. Priority was placed on removing procedural bottlenecks and improving alignment in contracting methods. The discussions also addressed the issuance of long-awaited opinions on several priority projects, including the bid evaluation report for works on the Edéa–Kribi axis, the Palar bridge and the Nkambe urban road network. Progress was likewise reviewed on the tender file for the remaining works on the Logone River bridge.
The meeting further led to agreement on the contracting method for the Ring Road works on the Bamenda–Bafut–Wum section, an 88-kilometre stretch identified as strategic for opening up the North-West Region. Recommendations adopted at the end of the session included accelerating the contract award process for the Edéa–Kribi road and for Lot 3 of the Ngaoundéré–Garoua corridor, notably the 77-kilometre Keroua Bridge–Salah Bridge section.
These road corridors are expected to strengthen domestic connectivity and reduce transport costs along key production and export routes. On the financial front, an update was provided on the AfDB’s transport sector portfolio in Cameroon. The volume of signed agreements stands at FCFA 887.6 billion, with ongoing commitments of FCFA 509.6 billion and total disbursements of FCFA 258.1 billion. The portfolio recorded strong growth over the 2021–2025 period, increasing by FCFA 611.3 billion, or 68.8 per cent of the AfDB’s overall portfolio.
Mercy Fosoh
