Cameroon signed, on May 15, a financing agreement for the construction of the 179.28-kilometre Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road project. According to official sources, the project is valued at more than CFA172 billion and backed by UK Export Finance (UKEF) and Standard Chartered Bank. According to the government, the financing package was arranged through cooperation between UK Export Finance and Standard Chartered.
The Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road project, described by officials as strategic for both Cameroon and the Central African sub-region, is expected to improve freight transport between the south of the country and the Port of Kribi while opening agricultural production zones to regional markets.
According to information disclosed by the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, the road corridor is part of Cameroon’s wider infrastructure and logistics expansion strategy centred on Kribi, which has increasingly become a gateway for regional trade serving neighbouring countries. Officials said the project is intended to reduce transport constraints, facilitate the movement of goods and support cross-border commercial exchanges.
According to the Ministry of Public Works, it will improve access to agricultural production basins in the South Region, allowing faster movement of commodities towards export infrastructure at Kribi. Authorities also stated that the project would support local economic activity and improve living conditions for communities located along the corridor.
The agreement adds to a growing portfolio of UK-supported projects in Cameroon. In February 2026, UKEF formally listed the Ebolowa-Kribi road as a Category A project under consideration through OECD export credit environmental rules. Earlier reports indicated that UKEF had approved around €198.8 million, equivalent to approximately CFA130 billion, representing 95 per cent of the project’s financing requirements. In addition, UK-linked export finance institutions have recently participated in infrastructure and utilities projects across Cameroon, including road construction and water supply financing.
Mercy Fosoh
