(Business in Cameroon) – The bridge over the Mayo Danay in Yagoua, in the Far North region, collapsed after heavy rains in September 2024 and is not expected to be rebuilt until 2026. The information appears in the 2026 draft budget of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (Minhdu). Built just over 40 years ago, the structure allowed crossings over the Danay River on the regional Yagoua–Kousseri road, via Pouss, Tékélé, and Zina, a key route for the movement of people and goods.
The collapsed bridge was a reinforced concrete structure with a 10-meter span and a width of 5 meters, featuring a single deck with 50 centimeters of clearance during high water. Since its destruction, the local economy has been severely disrupted, with population movement and the transport of goods becoming significantly more difficult. The construction of a permanent bridge over the Mayo Danay in Yagoua now falls under Minhdu’s program for urban transport infrastructure and sustainable mobility.
A presidential promise, a timeline set for 2026
The announcement of reconstruction in 2026 follows an initial pledge made on February 15, 2025, by Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh during a visit to Yagoua. The secretary-general of the presidency then conveyed instructions from President Paul Biya ordering the rehabilitation of the bridge. Two years after the September 2024 collapse, the planned timeline therefore pushes the return of a durable crossing on this axis to the medium term.
The cost of the project has not yet been disclosed by Minhdu. The ministry has proposed an annual budget of CFA168.3 billion for 2026, including CFA140.1 billion for investment. Reconstruction of the Mayo Danay bridge will fall within this package, alongside other urban infrastructure and mobility priorities.
A series of new bridges in the Far North and East
Alongside the project in Yagoua, the ministry also announced plans to build a bridge over the Mayo Maza Kaldada in Mokolo, also in the Far North, as well as a bridge over the Toungou River in Mandjou, in the East region. These works aim to secure several crossing points considered critical for maintaining traffic flows on the road network.
These projects come amid worsening damage to engineering structures across the country. In 2024, 194 bridges and culverts collapsed nationwide. According to the Ministry of Public Works, nearly CFA16.5 billion was included in the 2025 investment budget for their reconstruction. The stated goal is to reduce risks for local communities and ensure the continuity of economic activity across the country, particularly in areas most vulnerable to severe weather.
Frédéric Nonos
