To build Edea-Kribi rail corridor: Gov’t partners Africa Global Logistics, CAMALCO.

The agreement was signed in Yaounde on Thursday, June 4. The Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Masséna Ngallè Bibehe, signed on behalf of the State, while the President of AGL Group, Philippe Labonne, and the Director of CAMALCO Cameroon, Rana Pratap Singh, signed for the respective companies. 

Several members of government, diplomats, technical and financial partners, parliamentarians, regional and municipal authorities, and representatives of public and private sector organisations, lived the signing ceremony. 

The MoU establishes the framework for a public-private partnership covering the updating of feasibility studies, project design, financial structuring, construction, operation and maintenance of the future railway line. 

The project is listed among the priority infrastructure programmes under the National Development Strategy, NDS30. The proposed railway, estimated at about 185 kilometres, is expected to connect Edea, Kribi, Lolabé and Campo, while improving access to the Kribi deep-sea port and industrial zones in the southern part of the country. 

Strategic transport link

According to the Minister of Transport, the railway is intended to facilitate the movement of people and goods, lower transport costs and strengthen the country's position as a logistics hub in Central Africa. 

Minister Ngallè Bibehe said the project represents a major step in efforts to modernise transport infrastructure and improve connectivity around the Kribi port complex.

He noted that the rail line would help address the lack of railway access to the strategic port area while supporting industrial and mining activities already established around Kribi.

“The construction of this railway line, approximately 185 kilometres long according to existing studies, responds to multiple imperatives. It will open up the Kribi port area, secure the movement of people and goods, reduce transport costs and firmly position the country as a regional logistics hub,” Minister Ngallè Bibehe said.

The minister stated that the government had chosen the public-private partnership model to mobilise technical expertise and financial resources for large-scale infrastructure projects.

“The protocol we have signed with AGL and CAMALCO establishes a clear and balanced framework for cooperation. It defines the responsibilities of each party and lays the foundations for an exemplary partnership between the State and the private sector,” he said.

Minister Ngallè Bibehe further called on all stakeholders to remain committed throughout the implementation process.

“We have before us a historic opportunity to anchor the railway sector within national and regional economic growth. The success of this project will depend on the commitment and mobilisation of all stakeholders,” the minister added.

Boost for port, mining activities

The railway is expected to strengthen links between production zones, the Port Authority of Kribi and the Kribi Port Industrial Zone, while supporting trade and logistics activities. 

Project stakeholders said the infrastructure would also play a key role in supporting major mining developments, particularly the transport of bauxite from the Minim Martap deposit.

The deposit is estimated to contain 144 million tonnes of bauxite reserves. CAMALCO, a subsidiary of Australian mining company Canyon Resources, plans to invest approximately $446 million (about 253.5 billion CFA Francs) in the project, with a target production capacity of 10 million tonnes of high-grade bauxite annually.

Speaking during the ceremony, AGL Group President, Philippe Labonne, described the project as an important component of efforts to strengthen logistics networks connected to Kribi Port.

“AGL is proud to support the State in implementing this structuring project. Through our railway expertise and our strong presence in port infrastructure, particularly at Kribi, we are helping to build integrated logistics solutions and efficient transport corridors,” Labonne said.

He added that the railway would help unlock the full potential of the port and industrial zone.

“It will connect industrial and logistics operators to international markets through first-class connectivity,” he said.

On his part, CAMALCO Cameroon Director, Rana Pratap Singh, stated that the project would be important for the development of the mining sector and the transportation of resources from the Minim Martap project.

“This railway project is an essential link for securing and optimising the evacuation of resources from the Minim Martap project. It will strengthen the competitiveness of the mining sector while forming part of a structured partnership with the State and AGL,” Singh noted.

According to officials, the signing of the MoU marks a decisive stage towards the development of the railway corridor, which is expected to support industrialisation, trade, logistics and regional economic integration.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3811 of Monday June 08, 2026