South Korea’s total development portfolio in Cameroon has reached an estimated 93 billion CFA francs, with approximately 45 per cent disbursed as grants, a figure underscoring the scale and structure of a bilateral cooperation that has been running since 2011.
The volume was disclosed during a recent courtesy visit in Yaounde, where Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT), received Kim Yukyum, the newly appointed Country Director of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
Kim Yukyum, who arrived in Cameroon two months ago, said the meeting was an opportunity to formally introduce himself to the minister.
“During our discussions, he stressed the importance of cooperation between Cameroon and Korea, which has been ongoing since 2011,” Kim Yukyum told reporters.
The grants, totalling roughly 41.85 billion CFA francs, are spread across several sectors including governance, digitalisation of public administration, public health improvement, and access to drinking water.
In the digital sector, Koica’s flagship initiative is the Cameroon Online e-Procurement System (Coleps), a project aimed at digitalising public procurement procedures in Cameroon. The programme extends into e-government, supporting the broader rollout of digital tools across public administration.
In healthcare, the Centre for Emergencies in Yaounde (CURY) is cited as a concrete expression of Seoul’s commitment to strengthening Cameroon’s health system. KOICA has also contributed to reinforcing access to drinking water in decentralised local government areas.
Beyond infrastructure and systems, South Korea receives several Cameroonian professionals each year for capacity-building and knowledge acquisition programmes.
KOICA intervenes in key sectors including the digital transformation of public affairs, water and sanitation, and support for Cameroon’s development plan, Kim Yukyum told the minister.
The 93-billion-franc portfolio distributed across grants and concessional financing positions South Korea among the significant bilateral development partners operating in Cameroon, with its programmes addressing both institutional modernisation and basic service delivery.
Mercy Fosoh
