Biya regime prepares a CFA25 billion financing to restore Hilton Hotel ⁰

Cameroon’s state-owned hotel operator announced a major financing plan to overhaul one of its flagship assets in Yaoundé.

The Cameroon Hotels Corporation (CHC) has selected a consortium made up of Attijari Securities Central Africa (ASCA), AFG Capital, and Financia Capital to structure the fundraising for the renovation of the Hilton Yaoundé and its adjoining shopping center, according to an official statement.

The mandate, awarded after a restricted tender process, covers the arrangement of a financing operation whose total amount has not been formally disclosed. However, the financial terms offer a clear indication of its scale. The consortium’s fee has been set at 1% of the funds raised, including taxes, or CFA250 million, pointing to a target of about CFA25 billion. Sources close to the Ministry of Finance estimate the full renovation cost at around CFA30 billion.

According to the statement signed by CHC’s acting CEO, the ASCA–AFG Capital–Financia Capital bid ranked first in the process, with a technical score of 89.5 out of 100, a perfect financial score of 50 out of 50, and an overall score of 91.6.

The two competing consortia were eliminated during the selection process. EDC Investment Corporation–Forvis Mazars Cameroon failed to meet the minimum technical threshold of 80%, while Horus Investment Capital–CCA Bourse–EB Partners was disqualified due to a non-compliant bid bond.

CHC also noted that, during negotiations, the parties agreed to remove reimbursable expenses and other ancillary costs initially included in the financial proposal. The arrangers have been given a six-month mandate.

Beyond the procurement process, the operation carries strategic weight for the public company. The fundraising is intended to support a comprehensive modernization of the Hilton Yaoundé, a landmark property in Cameroon’s hospitality sector, which CHC aims to bring back to international five-star standards.

The move comes as competition intensifies in Yaoundé’s business travel, conference, and institutional events market. The renovation is meant to strengthen the hotel’s position against a growing private sector offering and rising expectations around service quality, infrastructure, and customer experience.

For CHC, the project is part of a broader effort to reshape the public hotel portfolio. Given the financial terms negotiated with the selected consortium, the group appears to be preparing one of the largest transactions seen in the segment in recent years in Cameroon.

Source: Business in Cameroon