From building roads and bridges to supporting the shipbuilding sector, the African Development Bank Group is supporting Cameroon to complete major transformational projects in transport and social infrastructure. In total, 56.5 percent of the Bank Group's portfolio is dedicated to the development of transport infrastructure in this Central African country.
On 12 April, the Bank Group's Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, visited the Obala interchange, one of Cameroon's most majestic structures funded by the Bank.
The interchange cost approximately $8.9 million and eases outbound traffic flows to the west of the capital, Yaoundé, at the convergence of the main national roads RN 1 and RN 4.
The construction of the Obala junction interchange - which took 24 months to complete -- is the result of cooperation between Cameroon and the African Development Bank. It was funded by the Bank and the government of Cameroon as part of the Transport Sector Support Programme.
"The aim of building the Obala interchange was to ease vehicle traffic flows at the junction of the main national roads RN 4 (between Yaoundé, Bafoussam and Babadjou) and RN 1, which connects Yaoundé to Kousséri via Obala, and to limit delays," explained Maurice Njontu, coordinator of the joint-funded road projects unit at Cameroon's Ministry of Public Works. "It eases crosswise traffic at each point on the two main roads, minimizing the risks of having several vehicles collide," he continued. Proudly, he notes that "this project has been one of our most successful in terms of meeting deadlines".
In total, the Transport Sector Support Programme, including building the road between Yaoundé and Bamenda and the interchange, has created 51,622 jobs, greater than the initial projection of 50,000.
A rest area covering 332m² was also created, with five buildings, including a police station, four shops, two rest rooms, public toilets, a technical services block, and a water tower. The rest area car park has up to 68 spaces for vehicles transporting heavy goods. Alongside the works, the town of Obala has benefited from having two kilometres of road resurfaced.
"It's a beautiful structure that has changed the face of the town of Obala. And above all, it has saved the lives of local people, because there are no more accidents now," comments a delighted Simon Pierre Ediba, mayor of Obala.
"Local people who were affected by the works have been compensated and used the money to build some fine houses, while others have invested in income-generating activities," he continued.
Building the interchange and the road between Yaoundé and Bamenda has reduced the operating costs of light vehicles from 397 CFA francs in 2016 to 333 CFA francs in 2023. Once the roadworks are completed, the travel time on the Yaoundé-Bamenda section should drop from six hours to four. Today, thanks to the interchange, it takes 5.5 hours.
The Obala interchange is around 40 kilometres from Yaoundé and reflects the determination of the Cameroonian authorities to adapt the country's infrastructure to its future needs and economic ambitions. The towns of Bafoussam and Babadjou provide a means of shipping subsistence products from the country's interior to the capital, and an easier link to neighbouring Chad.
"The interchange stands at the junction of two main national roads - RN 1 and RN 4 - and forms part of the Douala-N'Djamena corridor. It provides a third option for getting to N'Djamena. Previously, you could go west - via Bafoussam - or east - via Bertoua - and now you can go via Obala, Batchenga, Yoko and Tibati to get to Ngaoundéré, saving around 200 km," explains Mr Njontu.
Cameroon is firmly committed to developing its road network by densifying and modernizing its transport infrastructure. The Bank is a key partner in this endeavour. As at 1 April 2024, the Bank Group's active portfolio in Cameroon comprised 26 projects, with a total value of nearly $2.5 billion. The transport sector accounts for the majority of the Bank's investments in Cameroon (56.5 percent), followed by energy (20.4 percent) and agriculture (10.5 percent).
Funding from the Bank has now linked Cameroon to Congo thanks to the two phases of the Ketta-Djoum Road Development Project, at a cost of $173 million.
The Bank has also contributed to connecting Cameroon to Nigeria through the Bamenda-Enugu Road Construction Project and by building the Cross River bridge, which opened in October 2022. The Bank Group contributed funding of $120 million to this project. Building the bridge over the River Logone, at a cost of $115 million, started in 2020 and is intended to link northern Cameroon to Chad. The project to build a bridge over the River Ntem, approved in 2023 in the amount of $80 million, will connect Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
"These operations by the Bank Group are part of its "Integrate Africa" strategy, one of its five operational priorities -- the "High 5" -- and are aimed at strengthening other essential sectors that bring about a fundamental change in people's lives," commented Serge N'Guessan, Director General of the African Development Bank Group for Central Africa and head of the Country Office for Cameroon.
The Bank began its operations in Cameroon in 1972 by investing $4 million in building Douala airport. It has the capacity to double its portfolio in Cameroon "in five years" according to Ms Akin-Olugbade, speaking alongside the ceremony to open the institution's regional office in Yaoundé on 12 April.
"The Bank is and will remain a preferred partner for Cameroon in light of its fragile situation, because it has chosen - and it is its mission - to go out, help and offer hope where other institutions or partners are unable to do so," said the Vice-President in reference to the Bank's support for the country's most fragile regions and those prey to security threats.
