Better Connections To Consolidate Cameroon’s Role As Central African Gateway

The country prepares to host the 2021 African Cup of Nations while improving infrastructure throughout the country.

Due to its geographical position, Cameroon is a natural candidate to be a gateway to the Central African sub-region. Cameroon’s ambitions of increased, durable and sustainable growth require the modernisation of transport infrastructures. “We have embarked on the construction of roads linking the main cities, as well as roads linking agricultural production basins to various cities to help boost the agricultural sector,” explains Hon. Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, Cameroon’s Minister of Transport.

Future highway improvements include the Ngaoundere-Garoua connection, set to link the Douala and Yaoundé regions with the northern East Cameroon and the southern railroad, and the Tiko-Victoria connection, an extension of the Douala-Tiko road. “There are opportunities to build tower roads and to link big cities,” says Njong Eric Njong, Managing Director of Société BUNS, one of the government most trusted partners in the sector.

For a country that wants to strengthen its role as a maritime hub, the Douala terminal had become too saturated. A new seaport was thus built in Kribi, becoming operational in 2018: “Our performance is growing,” says Patrice Barthélémy Melom, General Manager of Kribi Port Authority, “the main challenge now is to build the logistic and industrial zone.” Works are under way to build a highway connecting the port to the town of Kribi and other major cities in Cameroon.

As the Doula terminal had become too saturated, Cameroon sought solutions to increase its strength as a maritime hub. Some of the competition’s key moments will be hosted in Douala’s new, modern 50,000-capacity Japoma Stadium, complete with training, basketball and volley grounds, a gym, an Olympic pool, hotels and all kinds of commercial and hospitality facilities: “The stadium is now complete,” says Tufan Sercan, Regional Director of construction firm Yenigun. “Other venues are also almost complete.”

Additionally, Cameroon’s efforts to improve aerial connections throughout the country have resulted in a notable increase in passenger traffic and freight traffic as well. This is an achievement that pleases Louis Georges Njipendi Kouotou, CEO of national flag carrier Camair-Co: “In 2017, we carried more passengers than Air France. Just within the sub-region, we did 300,000 passengers.”

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