Cameroon Sets 2028 Target to Complete Yaoundé-Douala Highway Phase II

AFRICAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMYApril 16, 2025 at 8:43 AM UTC

TLDR

Cameroon has budgeted 1,072 billion FCFA ($899 million) for the second phase of the Yaoundé-Douala highway
Funding will come from a multilateral financing structure, including contributions from Standard Chartered Bank and China’s EximBank
Phase I cost 350 billion FCFA after multiple amendments and eight years of work. Only 5 km of land has been released for Phase II’s 32 km stretch

Cameroon has budgeted 1,072 billion FCFA ($899 million) for the second phase of the Yaoundé-Douala highway, which will cover 141 km of main road and 40 km of interchanges, according to Public Works Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2025 and finish by 2028.

Funding will come from a multilateral financing structure, including contributions from Standard Chartered Bank and China’s EximBank. The agreement for the first 40 km is expected by August 2025. The second phase follows delays in the first, which launched in 2014. Initially estimated at 284 billion FCFA, Phase I cost 350 billion FCFA after multiple amendments and eight years of work. Only 5 km of land has been released for Phase II’s 32 km stretch.

Land access issues persist. The government is awaiting a compensation decree by June and has pledged stricter oversight. Local communities demand compensation before construction begins.

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Key Takeaways

The Yaoundé-Douala highway is central to Cameroon’s plan to improve transport between the Central and Littoral regions, which host the capital and main port. However, the project illustrates broader issues facing African infrastructure projects—cost overruns, land disputes, and dependency on external financing. The government seeks to unlock funding through international partnerships while managing local resistance. Compensation delays in Phase I caused access issues that persist in Phase II, despite new pledges of rigorous expropriation oversight. The China First Highway Engineering Corporation (CFHEC), contractor for Phase I, continues to face community resistance. Cameroon must now balance investor confidence with local acceptance, as it eyes long-term gains in trade and logistics efficiency. With a 180 km corridor at stake, the project’s success may influence future public-private infrastructure deals in Central Africa.

Cameroon

Economy

Yaoundé-Douala Highway

Infrastructure

Transport

Road