(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon saved XAF18.5 billion on the construction of the Léna-Nsegbe-Tibati (135.16 km) entrusted to Sogea Satom, the Ministry of Public Works recently revealed.

According to the ministry, an initial savings of XAF15 billion was realized during the contractualization process since the offer made by Sogea Satom was below the budget set aside for the project. Then, XAF3.5 billion was saved by reducing the volume of building materials.

With the XAF15 billion saved during the contractualization process, the ministry ordered additional works on 27 km (Tibati-Ngatt-Ngaoundéré), thus extending the length of roads to be asphalted.  

“167 km of road will finally be built instead of the initial 135.16 km,” the ministry indicates.

For the XAF3.5 billion saved on building materials, the project owner proposed to increase the linear distance between Tibati and Ngaoundéré by an additional 4,350 km, to install a second weighing station to ensure the fluidity of traffic and limit the risks of degradation. It also suggested the construction of bus stations and parking in Tibati as well as the construction of a rigid hydraulic concrete pavement instead of a flexible asphalt concrete pavement at the weighing areas.

The French group Vinci, which controls Sogea-Satom, announced on April 19, 2018, that it had won a contract worth about XAF73.4 billion for the construction of a 135.16 km road between the Lena (Centre) and Tibati (Adamaoua) and the development of 6.7 km of roads in Tibati.

This road, which should be delivered in 2020, will facilitate trade between Cameroon, Chad, and Nigeria. On April 1, 2020, the execution rate was estimated at 54% by the Ministry of Public Works.

Sylvain Andzongo