Cameroon’s Minister of Water and Energy said electricity fraud costs the state more than 60 billion CFA francs a year (about £67 million), as authorities prepare to launch intensified enforcement operations.
Gaston Eloundou Essomba disclosed the scale of the losses in a press release dated 5 February 2026, announcing that lightning operations to tackle electricity fraud would begin on 15 March 2026. The statement said the losses significantly undermine investment in and improvements to the country’s public electricity service.
According to the ministry, the enforcement operations will be carried out in collaboration with the public electricity service concessionaire and form part of measures following the renationalisation of ENEO, Cameroon’s main electricity distribution company. Eloundou Essomba said the operations aim primarily to reduce commercial losses and enforce the law against illegal electricity use.
Beyond the financial impact, the ministry identified electricity fraud as one of the causes of multiple fire outbreaks and electrocution incidents across the country. The minister called on all electricity users to ensure their meters and installations comply with existing standards, urging illegal users to regularise their situations immediately in the public interest.
The announcement comes as Cameroon continues restructuring its energy sector. The nationwide crackdown is the latest attempt to address persistent challenges, with commercial losses from theft and fraud long weighing on infrastructure development and service delivery.
Authorities have not specified the enforcement measures to be used or the penalties illegal users could face. The 15 March start date gives consumers about five weeks to regularise their installations before inspections begin, with the government warning that unsafe connections pose serious risks to both users and surrounding properties.
Mercy Fosoh
