Douala Port unveils exhibition tracing 150 years of maritime history.

The art gallery was launched during a ceremony held on Thursday October 2nd at the esplanade of the Port’s headquarters in Bonanjo. 

It was presided over by the Deputy Director General of the Port Authority of Douala, Charles Moukoko Njoh. Also in attendance were several top officials, port stakeholders, artists, and members of the public.

In his opening remarks, Moukoko Njoh described the event as “an important sequence in the commemoration of the Douala-Bonaberi Port’s 150th anniversary, a rare opportunity to revisit our rich history and showcase the progress accomplished over time”.

He underscored the pivotal role of the Douala-Bonaberi Port as “the lifeline of the national economy,” contributing nearly 70% of Cameroon’s external trade and 43% of formal employment in Douala. “Our port has faced trials and overcome them,” he said. 

Njoh added that: “Under the leadership of the Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya, the Port Authority of Douala has undergone deep transformation modernising its facilities, reorganising services, and improving performance to stand as a major player in the Gulf of Guinea”.  

The Deputy Director General further announced that as part of the port’s development master plan, extensions toward new sites have been launched to meet the growing needs of maritime trade and sustain competitiveness.

“Beyond figures and projects, these photos are more than mere images. They are windows into our soul, reflections of our identity and testimony of our resilience,” he noted. 

A visual journey through time

The exhibition, curated by visual artist and designer, Michel Ndoh, offers what he called a “three-dimensional narrative, historical, memorial, and prospective”.

Speaking during his presentation, Ndoh explained that the collection is not simply an assembly of old photographs but “a living chronicle of the port’s evolution, from the first colonial installations to the modern and strategic hub we know today”.

He said the exhibition’s theme: “From Colonial Port to Sovereign Port: 150 Years of Collective Memory and Transformation”, encapsulates the spirit of the display — a tribute to the men and women who built and shaped the Port of Douala-Bonaberi into what it represents today.

“Each photograph is a fragment of memory, reviving the soul of an era and restoring the evolution of a structure that moved from colonial servitude to national sovereignty,” Ndoh said. 

The artist described the exhibition’s design as both aesthetic and technical, with each structure made from locally sourced white wood and coated for durability, a metaphor, he noted, for the port’s anchorage in Cameroonian identity.

Archival images from the Port Authority, the National Archives, and private photographers chronicle key moments, from German-era dockyards and colonial piers to post-independence expansions and modern cranes reshaping Douala’s skyline. 

He also combined photographs of the all the Director Generals who have served as administrators at the Port from the German time to the current day. Images of the port serving as a slave trade route for Cameroonians are also in display 

Honouring builders, inspiring the future

For many attendees, the exhibition was more than a historical reflection. It was also an emotional journey, a reminder of the generations of workers, engineers, and leaders whose vision turned the once modest estuary outpost into a regional maritime powerhouse.

“When you see these images, remember, you are part of history,” the master of ceremony told the audience. 

The event concluded with the symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony, officiated by senior PAD management staff and partners, marking the official opening of the exhibition to the public.

Guests took time to tour the exhibitions, from early 1900s ship repairs to aerial views of post-independence Douala, the exhibition stood as both a tribute to the past and a vision for the future, reaffirming the Port of Douala’s enduring role as the beating heart of Cameroon’s economy and a strategic hub for Central Africa.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3586 of Monday October 06, 2025