Cameroon’s state housing company has warned of major delays on a 10,000-unit residential project being built by Italy’s Pizzarotti. The Société immobilière du Cameroun (SIC) said setbacks at two sites in the Centre region could push delivery back by up to 24 months.
In a progress report dated Feb. 21, 2026, reviewed by Business in Cameroon, SIC said the delays were most severe at Nkolmeyos, which it described as the project’s key component.
The access road 1% completed
As of Feb. 21, the prefabrication plant under construction at Nkolmeyos had reached only 25.3% completion after three years of work. “Compared with the planned schedule (85.97% at this date), the gap exceeds 60 percentage points, posing a significant risk to the project’s overall timeline. Discussions are ongoing regarding a 24-month extension for this site,” the report said.
SIC said the delay was particularly concerning because the Nkolmeyos facility is the technical linchpin of the entire Pizzarotti project. The plant is designed to produce prefabricated concrete components at a rate of at least 1,000 housing units per year. Its operational lifespan, estimated at between 40 and 50 years, is described in the report as a strategic tool to accelerate large-scale social housing construction in Cameroon beyond this single project.
Nkolmeyos is now expected to be delivered around 2028. Meanwhile, construction of the first 1,224 units at the Ekoko II site is also falling behind schedule. SIC said overall progress there stood at 46.8% three years after works began.
“The November 2025-April 2026 period represents a phase of vulnerability, with simultaneous work on 13 buildings. The contractor will need to submit a related mobilization plan,” the document noted.
The report also flagged almost no progress on the access road to the Ekoko II site, which stands at just 1% completion. SIC described the road as “a critical link required to complete utilities and site infrastructure works, as well as testing and handover procedures,” making it a potential trigger for further delays.
More than 53 billion CFA francs already disbursed
On the financial side, the project’s initial budget has been revised upward from 96.7 billion CFA francs to 97.9 billion CFA francs, an increase of 1.2 billion CFA francs.
“A quantity review was carried out based on updated execution studies and on-site technical assessments. This review shows an overall financial impact of 1.2 billion CFA francs,” the report said.
Of the revised total, just over 53 billion CFA francs had been paid to the contractor as of Feb. 21, 2026, representing a credit utilization rate of 54.79%. However, SIC said only 29.18% of the work had actually been completed.
The report attributed the gap between payments and physical progress to the cost of studies covering all 10,000 units, procurement payments, management and overhead costs, and contractual advances including start-up and supply advances.
The Pizzarotti project was formally launched on June 24, 2022, when SIC Director General Ahmadou Sardaouna presided over the official reception of the first materials and equipment at Ekoko II.
Financing for the project is based on two loan agreements totaling 115 billion CFA francs, signed in 2017 between the Cameroonian government and Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo.
Phase I covers the construction of 1,224 units at Ekoko II and the Nkolmeyos prefabrication plant. Phase II calls for 9,000 units at Zouatoupsi and Nkolntsam, in the Mbankomo subdivision of the Centre region.
Delivery of all components had been scheduled for 2026, but the report indicates that timeline will not be met. Beyond the technical and financial adjustments, the project carries broader policy implications. The Pizzarotti development is presented as a way to accelerate social housing supply in a country where the official housing deficit stands at 2 million units.
Brice R. Mbodiam
