“(Business in Cameroon) - We have a portfolio of projects requiring important financing. Further to being a charm offensive, this forum is a call upon investment”. On 17^th May 2016, after the opening of the international conference labelled “Invest in Cameroon, Land of opportunity”, the Cameroonian government decided to translate into action the above-mentioned declaration made by the Minister of Economy, Louis Paul Motazé, who was setting a few hours prior, the issue at stake with this major investment meeting held in the Cameroonian capital.

Indeed, we learn from credible sources, as soon the opening ceremony of this conference ended, the government started meeting with some investors and other bankers invited to the Cameroonian capital, in order to present to them a list of 15 mature projects, for which financing is still pending.

Undertaking these 15 projects, we learn from internal sources at the Ministry of Economy, will require a global financing of FCfa 1,000 billion, an amount for which the Cameroonian government hopes to get commitments from the investors by the end of the event which will end this 18 May 2016 in Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital.

According to our sources, these projects are essentially focused on the road and energy infrastructure sectors. For some projects, the Cameroonian government has already obtained partial financing. These are, for example, the construction of the Douala-Yaoundé motorway, valued at FCfa 300 billion for which Eximbank of China has already made available FCfa 241 billion.

Kribi gas plant, Menchum dam…

This is also the case for the construction project of the Batschenga-Ntui-Yoko-Tibati-Ngaoundéré road, long of 346 km. This project costing FCfa 230 billion had already benefitted from partial financing, jointly raised by AFD, AfDB and JICA.

Concerning projects whose financing are yet to be fully raised, our sources list the construction of the Olama-Kribi road (246 km costing FCfa 148 billion), the construction of the Ring Road (358 km at FCfa 155 billion), asphalting of the Mengong-Sangmélima road (117 km for FCfa 58.5 billion), etc.

In energy terms, the Cameroonian government is enticing investors to finance, among other projects, the expansion of the Kribi gas plant, the construction of the Menchum dam, or the construction of a 225 KV-electricity line between Memvé’élé (whose dam is nearing completion) and Yaoundé passing by Ebolowa, covering 285km.

Brice R. Mbodiam