Gov’t gets 1,100 billion FCFA World Bank funding to boost dev’t.

The announcement was made known by the World Bank Administrator for Cameroon, Abdoul Salam Bello, on Wednesday August 21, in Yaounde. 

This was during an audience the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, granted a delegation of the World Bank, led by the Administrator for Cameroon. 

During the audience, discussions centered on the development and scaling up of road infrastructure in Cameroon. 

Abdoul Salam Bello then announced that the international financial institution’s Board of Directors has approved the establishment of a new strategic partnership framework. 

He said it is aimed at improving the country’s connectivity and strengthening basic social services for the next three years.

The new strategic partnership, he said, raises Cameroon’s portfolio at the bank to 4.2 billion US dollar (2,471 billion FCFA). 

He added that it has witnessed an increase of 2 billion US dollar (over 1,176 billion FCFA).

This follows the announcement of the increase of 2 billion USD in the financial institution's envelope for the country. 

The World Bank official revealed that a significant part of the envelop will be allocated to the road infrastructure sector.

“Where a road passes, there goes infrastructure development and connectivity in order to bring people closer together. The World Bank will continue to support the infrastructure development agenda in the country,” Abdoul Salam Bello told the press shortly after the audience.

Works minister on major projects

For his part, the Public Works Minister, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, presented some road infrastructural projects in the country to his guests. He said the projects require the mobiliaation of significant funding. 

The minister then cited among others, National Road N°10, Batouri-Yokadouma-Congo border in the East Region; Mamfé-Akwaya, and the road that will allow the evacuation of iron ore from Mbalam to the Kribi Deep Seaport in the South Region.

Bringing people closer to development

Both officials equally discussed about the need to bring populations closer to development needs; through the implementation of related projects like schools, hospitals, markets, amongst others.

Highlighting other aspects that could benefit from the World Bank funding, Minister Nganou Djoumessi emphasised the need for infrastructure maintenance. 

He also talked of capacity building of decentralised local authorities and its collaborators in decentralised services that will ensure permanent interventions in the context of maintenance. 

Active projects with World Bank

Cameroon currently has two active projects funded by the World Bank, under the portfolio of the Jointly Funded Road Project Unit. 

The first is the Transport Sector Development Project, which is structured around four main components with the rehabilitation of the Babadjou-Bamenda road. 

The project includes work on the 52km of main road and 41.8km of communal roads currently being developed.

The second is the project for improving connectivity, resilience and inclusion along the Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri road corridor with 209km of road to be rehabilitated. 

Meanwhile, according to the communication service of the Ministry of Public Works, an additional financing of 50 million US dollar (over 29.4billion FCFA) has been mobilised by the World Bank for the rehabilitation of urban roads in the North West Regional capital, Bamenda. 

Within the framework of the rehabilitation project, the financing agreement is expected to be signed in the near future, with works expected to begin after the signing ceremony. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3207 of Friday August 23, 2025