The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has reaffirmed its strong partnership with Cameroon following a high-level mission to the country from 10 - 21 March 2025. The mission led to constructive dialogue with senior government officials and culminated in the signing of a €330.48 million loan agreement to upgrade the Ngaoundéré-Garoua road (246 km) along the Douala-Ndjamena economic corridor.
The Bank's delegation, headed by Solomane Koné, Acting Director General for Central Africa, held discussions with Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute and other key ministers. Mr Koné reiterated the Bank's commitment to supporting Cameroon in achieving the objectives of its National Development Strategy to 2030, particularly in industrial transformation and inclusive growth.
The delegation commended the government on progress made in reforming public financial management and reviewed ongoing initiatives in priority sectors, including agriculture, transport, energy, water, and vocational training.
The newly signed financing will support Phase 4 of the Transport Sector Support Programme (PAST4) and contribute to the development of a strategic road corridor linking northern Cameroon to the rest of the country and providing landlocked Chad with vital access to the ports of Douala and Kribi.
"This corridor connects the northern part of the country with other regions and is therefore vital for greater national integration. It also facilitates Chad's access to the sea," said Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development and AfDB Governor for Cameroon.
Minister Mey emphasised the critical role the project will play in fostering economic connectivity and accelerating regional integration across Central Africa.
A multisectoral partnership for inclusive development
In the energy sector, the Bank welcomed Cameroon's interest in joining Mission 300, the AfDB's joint initiative with the World Bank that aims to connect 300 million more people in Africa to electricity by 2030. Cameroon expects to connect 6.5 million more people to the electricity grid during the period of project implementation, raising the national rate of access to electricity from 73% in 2023 to a level between 80% and 85%.
"Actions have already been taken in this direction," said Gaston Eloundou Essomba, the Cameroonian Minister for Water and Energy, who particularly noted the completion of work on the Nachtigal dam, which offers 420 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity. "This is game changer for us, solving our production deficit with sufficient low-cost hydroelectricity to meet current needs," he added.
Partnership between the AfDB and Cameroon is also bearing fruit in the agricultural sector, which represents 9.31% of the Bank's active lending portfolio in the country. The Project for the Development of Agricultural Value Chains has given career starts in this crucial sector to 1770 young people.
"We have exceeded the target of 1512 young people set by the project [and] we are pleased with this result," said the Agriculture Minister, Gabriel Mbairobe.
Youth at the heart of the partnership
The mission was also an opportunity for the Bank to demonstrate its support for the young people of Cameroon. Internship completion certificates were awarded to 70 young graduates (46 per cent of them women), who took part in the professional internship programme that has accompanied projects financed by AfDB Group in Cameroon. This programme, initiated as part of the Bank Group's Strategy for Jobs for Youth in Africa 2016-2025, enables young graduates to gain professional experience through internships in projects financed by the Bank Group, assisting their professional integration.
"Since the programme was launched in Cameroon in 2018, 354 young men and women have benefited from this enriching experience. Many of them have been able to achieve sustainable professional integration in Bank projects, in public administration or in the private sector," Mr Koné emphasised at the certificate award ceremony.
Finally, the mission held consultations with development partners in Cameroon, including the World Bank, the United Nations System and the International Monetary Fund, aiming to strengthen collaboration and assist coordination in order to optimise development actions in the country.
AfDB Group is one of Cameroon's main strategic partners. As of 10 March 2025, the Bank's portfolio for Cameroon included 28 projects worth $2.65 billion.
