(Business in Cameroon) - The construction of Ebolowa-Akom II–Kribi Highway will be launched in 2022. This was announced by Minister of Public Works Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi during his address before the parliament in the framework of the ongoing budget session.

“The projects that will kick off in 2022 notably include the construction of 381.5 kilometres of roads and 150 linear meters of artworks. Namely, they are the Maroua-Bogo-Pouss pass(93 km), Ebolowa-Akom II–Kribi (179.6 km), the Eastern Entrance to Douala (Phase II-38.9 km), phase I of the Olounou-Oveng-Gabon border road(70 km), and Olounou-Oveng Road that includes the construction of a 150 linear meter of the bridge over the Kom River,” Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi said.

Even though the official stated no official launch date, the announcement will likely appease residents of the Southern region. Indeed, in October 2021, the latter organized violent protests even blocking the circulation to express. Those protests aimed to show their anger because almost two years after its selection to build the Ebolowa-Akom II–Kribi highway, Italian firm ICM-CMC was yet to launch the works.

For the Ebolowa-Akom II-Kribi road construction project, in the first quarter of 2019, the Cameroonian government awarded a special contract XAF160 billion contract to ICM-CMC. The overall cost of the project is estimated at XAF168 billion (XAF160 billion for the construction works, XAF6 billion for technical studies, and XAF2 billion for geotechnical investigations). However, in its 2020 activity report, the Ministry of Public Works listed XAF179.63 billion as the effective cost of the project.

According to the same report, the construction works should have started in 2021. But ICM-CMC “lied about its financing capabilities. Unfortunately, it got caught up with its lies and tried to raise funds from Standard Chartered Bank with a London-based guarantor whose conditions are well above the allowed proportions (...) Consequently, other financing mechanisms are being explored.” By announcing the launch of construction works for 2022, Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi seems to be indirectly indicating that the funds required have or are being raised. 

Sylvain Andzongo