Chinese investment sought for Cameroon roads

Chinese investment in Cameroon’s road infrastructure is being sought by Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya.A number of road projects in Cameroon are already benefiting from Chinese financing and further funding would help improve the country’s transport infrastructure further.

A key road project that could benefit from Chinese financing is the second phase of the highway linking the country’s capital, Yaoundé, with its largest city and major port, Douala. Other important road works that would benefit from Chinese funding include the Ebolowa-Akom 2-Kribi route and the Douala-Bafoussam project.

Meanwhile, China First Highway Engineering Corporation (CFHEC) is now carrying out work for the 107km Edéa-Kribi road, which is expected to cost US$172 million. A significant portion of the funding for this road project is being supplied by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The country has plans to extend its road network by 2027 with an additional 1,415km of asphalt surfaced roads being built. This would boost Cameroon’s asphalt road network to 11,300km by 2027, compared with 9,885km in 2023.  The National Development Strategy 2020-2030 has been set up by the Cameroon Government.

A $2.5 billion  boost to Cameroon’s budget has been provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to help pay for 26 projects, with a strong focus on road development works. Around $1.4 billion of the budget is being targeted towards transport infrastructure development.