(Business in Cameroon) - The Cross River Bridge that links Cameroon to Nigeria will be inaugurated next November 3, the Cameroonian Ministry of Public Works (Mintp) announced. The 408-km infrastructure was completed about a year ago in the city of Eyumodjok, Mayu department-Southwest region.

Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi led a meeting last October 19 in Yaoundé to discuss the ceremony with the Southwest Governor, the Prefect of Manyu, and other officials.  For now, no information has been revealed on the role the Nigerian side will play during the inauguration ceremony.

The project has swallowed more than CFA21 billion, the Minister reported, stressing that both countries (Cameroon and Nigeria) have received assistance from the African Development Bank and the European Union. The investment was made as part of the Transport Facilitation program on the Bamenda-Mamfe-Abakaliki-Enugu corridor that integrates the Lagos-Mombassa Trans-African.

The inauguration and use of this new infrastructure are expected to revive trade between Cameroon and its partner. Trade volume between the two countries has dropped by 81% from CFA15.6 billion to CFA2.9 billion in 2015-19, due to the Anglophone crisis.

S.A.