Business

5, August 2026

U.S.-Cameroon economic dialogue set for August 27 ⁰

A strategic economic bilateral dialogue between Cameroon and the United States is scheduled for August 27, 2026, as both countries seek to strengthen trade and investment ties and improve the business climate for private-sector operators.

The dialogue was announced during an audience between Transport Minister Jean Ernest Masséna Ngallè Bibèhè and the United States Interim Chargé d’Affaires in Cameroon, John G. Robinson. According to information released by the Ministry of Transport, the dialogue will focus on three main objectives: improving the business climate between the two countries, identifying trade opportunities and promoting investment partnerships.

The announcement confirms remarks made by John G. Robinson during a conference organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Cameroon (AmCham) on the sidelines PROMOTE 2026. At the event, he said the United States seeks to be “a reliable partner for economic growth” through trade, investment and technology transfer rather than traditional aid programs.

The forthcoming dialogue takes place against a backdrop of expanding economic exchanges between the two countries. American and Cameroonian businesses have recently pursued partnerships in agribusiness, poultry production, energy and hospitality. US agencies, including the International Development Finance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the US Commercial Service, continue to support financing, export promotion and commercial partnerships involving African businesses.

According to AmCham Cameroon, business missions and commercial exchanges have already contributed to investment projects in several sectors, while financing mechanisms from US institutions continue to support eligible ventures involving American and Cameroonian partners.

The August 27 dialogue is expected to provide a platform to identify new investment opportunities and deepen commercial cooperation between the two economies, with transport among the sectors under discussion.

Source: Business in Cameroon

4, August 2026

AI offers lifeline to developing economies in an era of weak growth ⁰

Artificial intelligence (AI) could allow developing countries to do in a decade what might otherwise take a century—provided that governments act swiftly to close the gaps in power, connectivity, skills, and institutional quality that threaten to leave them behind, according to the World Bank Group’s World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence.

The report, released today, finds that jobs in high-income countries are more than three times as likely to be at risk of automation by generative AI than those in low- and middle-income countries, where 4.5% of existing jobs are at risk, compared with 14.2% in high-income countries. At the same time, 16.2% of jobs in developing economies could see productivity meaningfully boosted by AI — close to the 18.7% expected in high-income countries. The greatest promise for developing countries lies not in replacing workers, but in amplifying what they can do.

“AI has thrown developing economies a lifeline, and they should seize it”, said Indermit Gill, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank Group. “They do not need large models or big data centers to reap its benefits. By adapting small, low-cost AI tools to local conditions, they can bring better medical care, education, judicial services and agricultural extension within reach of millions. But they must hurry: AI is spreading faster and is more context-specific than earlier general-purpose technologies like electricity and the internet. World Development Report 2026 shows how developing countries are responding—and succeeding.”

The report is the first comprehensive assessment of AI’s implications for developing countries, revealing how businesses and governments in these countries have begun to use AI. It finds that AI is already helping people, businesses, and governments solve problems, analyze information, improve forecasts, and deliver services at a larger scale. These capabilities are especially valuable in countries where trained professionals, reliable records, and public capacity are often limited. AI tools can make it easier for doctors to diagnose patients, farmers to improve crop decisions, and businesses to become more productive. Governments, too, could use AI to improve tax collection, social programs, disaster response, health care, and education.

Developing economies today are in the midst of their weakest average growth performance in three decades. AI could significantly boost that performance before the end of the 2020s while delivering tangible benefits to people, the report finds. The opportunity is not guaranteed, however. The most advanced AI systems are being built by a small number of countries and companies, while many developing economies still lack the power, internet access, data, skills, and institutions needed to use AI effectively. Without deliberate action, AI could widen gaps between countries, increase inequality within them, concentrate market power, weaken trust in public institutions, and create new risks for safety, rights, and social cohesion.

The report sets out a clear, three-step path: adopt available tools, adapt them to local conditions, and — over time — advance toward frontier AI development. This sequenced approach helps countries avoid costly and inefficient attempts to replicate advanced AI before the foundational conditions are in place.

“The window to get this right is narrow,” said Gaurav Nayyar, Director of the World Development Report 2026. “AI presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to solve problems that have resisted solutions for generations. Developing countries that build the foundations now—power, connectivity, skills, and institutions—will be positioned to adopt and adapt AI for their people.”

None of this is possible without first investing in the basics. In Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly one-third of rural schools still lack reliable electricity, and more than two-thirds lack dependable internet access. Closing this gap is already a priority — the World Bank Group is working with partners through Mission 300 to provide energy access to 300 million people across Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, laying the foundation for broader digital and AI inclusion.

Countries also need to expand access to computing power and improve the availability of local data, including in local languages, so AI tools can be tailored to serve their own people and economies. Governments should make it easier for new firms to attract investment, test ideas, and scale what works. Many AI pilots are already underway, but the bigger challenge is knowing which ones deliver results. Better evidence, stronger skills, and clearer procurement and evaluation frameworks will be essential.

Building public trust is equally important. As AI evolves rapidly, governments should begin by drawing on voluntary industry standards to encourage responsible use, anchored in international cooperation to prevent regulatory fragmentation. When voluntary measures fall short, governments should apply existing laws to address harms directly. Improved public services and better learning outcomes in schools will reinforce trust — but if AI embeds bias in government decisions or erodes data privacy, that trust will be difficult to recover.

3, August 2026

Dangote Cement Cameroon: expansion meets weaker sales ⁰

Dangote Cement’s Cameroon subsidiary sold 596,800 metric tons of cement in the first half of 2026, down 13.1% from a year earlier, according to the company’s unaudited half-year results published on July 29, 2026.

After selling 300,000 tons between January and March, as reported in its first-quarter results, second-quarter sales can therefore be calculated at 296,800 tons. That was down 1.1% from the previous quarter.

The lack of a rebound contrasts with the subsidiary’s June 2026 announcement that it plans to increase its production capacity in Cameroon to 3 million tons a year from 1.5 million by 2028. Annualizing first-half sales would put full-year volume at 1.194 million tons. That would be equivalent to 79.6% of current capacity but only 39.8% of the planned capacity.

These ratios are not capacity utilization rates. The published results provide neither the Douala plant’s actual production nor changes in inventories. They nonetheless illustrate the scale of the commercial challenge: based on a simple extrapolation of the first-half pace, selling 3 million tons would require sales to increase by about 2.5 times.

Two Quarters Without a Rebound

Dangote’s reported 13.1% decline indicates that first-half 2025 sales were about 686,800 tons. The subsidiary therefore sold about 90,000 fewer tons than a year earlier.

The decline appears to have eased, however. After a 15.8% drop in the first quarter, the year-on-year decrease between April and June can be estimated at about 10.2%. The calculation is based on the rounded half-year and quarterly figures reported by the group and should therefore be treated as an approximation.

That relative improvement does not yet amount to a recovery. The calculated second-quarter volume of 296,800 tons remained below the 300,000 tons sold in the first quarter.

Dangote attributed the weak performance to a slowdown in construction following the elections, delays in public spending and slower infrastructure project execution. In its half-year results, the group described the weakness as temporary and forecast a recovery as spending and project execution resume.

That is the company’s assessment. Available public data do not make it possible to separate the effect of slower construction activity from potential market share shifts toward other producers. Without comprehensive statistics covering all cement producers in the first half of 2026, Dangote’s sales decline also cannot be equated with a similar contraction in national consumption.

The first-half performance largely extends the decline recorded in 2025. That year, volumes at the Douala plant fell 14.1% to 1.2 million tons from 1.4 million in 2024, according to Dangote Cement’s 2025 annual results. Annualizing first-half 2026 sales therefore puts the subsidiary almost exactly at the previous year’s level.

Cameroon’s Role in Dangote’s Regional Clinker Network

Dangote’s Cameroon facility is not an integrated cement plant that produces clinker locally. The group describes it as a grinding plant with annual capacity of 1.5 million tons and a jetty that allows clinker to be unloaded directly at the facility. The semi-finished product is then ground with local pozzolana and gypsum to produce cement.

This configuration links the Cameroon subsidiary to the group’s regional industrial and logistics network. Dangote’s Nigerian plants shipped 754,000 tons of clinker to Cameroon and Ghana in the first half of 2026, up 56.7% from a year earlier, according to the cement producer’s half-year results. The group does not disclose how the volume was divided between the two countries.

A Dangote Cement strategy presentation published in June 2026 sets out the economic rationale behind the network. According to the group, the model “maximises utilisation of Nigeria’s asset base” and “leverages Nigeria’s integrated plants to feed African sites without needing to build further kilns.” In other words, Nigerian kilns serve as a regional production base supplying African grinding plants without the need to build new kilns in each market.

The model allows Dangote to increase utilization of its Nigerian plants and limit the industrial investment required in the countries it supplies. But it keeps Cameroon at the downstream end of the value chain, with limestone still being burned into clinker abroad.

The significance of the Cameroon project therefore extends beyond the additional capacity. The planned facility’s configuration is equally important. A new grinding plant would increase local cement-grinding capacity but would also increase the need for imported clinker. An integrated cement plant equipped with a kiln and supplied by a limestone quarry would represent a more significant shift in the industry’s structure.

That distinction is particularly important because Cameroon imported 3,106,782 tons of clinker in 2025 for 97.317 billion CFA francs, according to the preliminary foreign trade report published by the National Institute of Statistics in April 2026. The purchases rose 20.5% by volume and 14.7% by value from 2024. Clinker accounted for 1.9% of the total value of Cameroon’s imports.

A 3 Million-Ton Target First Announced in 2015

The 3 million-ton figure is not new. When the plant was inaugurated in 2015, the Prime Minister’s Office said the facility was expected to reach 1.5 million tons by the end of that year and that its “actual capacity,” according to its promoter, was 3 million tons.

Eleven years later, Dangote still lists its installed capacity in Cameroon at 1.5 million tons a year.

The project resurfaced publicly on July 21, 2026. After a meeting with Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, Dangote Group Vice President Devakumar Edwin announced plans to build a new plant in the country’s economic capital. “We also intend to build a new cement plant in Douala. We will visit sites to determine where to locate this plant,” he said, according to remarks reported by Business & Finance International on July 23.

The statement indicates that the project remains at a preliminary stage. Dangote said it was still searching for a site, with no location finalized. No publicly available information specifies the cost of the Cameroon investment, the construction schedule, the new plant’s capacity or whether it will include a clinker kiln.

The location itself also remains unclear. In June 2026, Dangote Cement Cameroon referred both to an expansion of the Douala facility and the revival of a project for a second 1.5 million-ton plant in an industrial zone in Yaoundé. A month later, the group’s management announced a new cement plant in Douala. Dangote has not publicly clarified whether these are separate projects or whether the company has shifted the proposed location.

Sinoma Agreement Does Not Specify Cameroon Project Costs

The agreement signed with Sinoma International Engineering on February 28, 2026, does not resolve these uncertainties. It covers an estimated investment of more than $1 billion and 12 construction, expansion or modernization projects in seven African countries, including Cameroon, according to information published by Agence Ecofin on March 4, 2026.

No public breakdown identifies the amount allocated to Cameroon. The agreement also does not specify whether the local investment will take the form of a grinding plant, an integrated cement plant or a simple expansion of the existing facility.

The agreement alone therefore does not establish that work to double capacity has begun. It mainly confirms that Cameroon is among the markets included in Dangote Cement’s continental expansion strategy.

The proposed expansion therefore raises two issues. Commercially, Dangote would need to restore growth, gain market share or develop new outlets to absorb the additional capacity. Industrially, it must clarify whether the investment will only expand local grinding capacity or also reduce Cameroon’s dependence on imported clinker.

Until the site, financing, timetable and technical configuration are disclosed, the increase to 3 million tons remains a stated target. It comes as Dangote’s Cameroon sales have remained at about 300,000 tons per quarter since the beginning of 2026.

Source: Business in Cameroon

1, August 2026

CPDM Crime Syndicate: 3 state-owned companies account for 93% of public enterprise debt ⁰

Three state-owned companies—SONARA, Camair-Co, and CAMTEL—account for nearly all of the direct domestic debt currently reported for Cameroon’s public enterprises, underscoring how a handful of companies dominate the government’s commercial-sector debt exposure.

According to data from the Autonomous Sinking Fund (CAA) analyzed by Investir au Cameroun, the three companies carried a combined CFA297.3 billion ($510 million) in direct domestic debt as of the end of June 2026, representing 93% of the CFA319.6 billion outstanding across public enterprises and establishments.

The figure does not include floating debt or the liabilities of the Cameroon Electricity Company (Socadel), which are still being assessed.

The reported debt stock was unchanged from May. However, it declined by 0.8% over three months and by 8.3% year over year. These changes apply only to direct domestic debt contracted by public entities and exclude other categories of liabilities tracked separately by the CAA.

SONARA Alone Represents Nearly 60% of the Total

With CFA191.3 billion in outstanding debt, the National Refining Company (SONARA) remains by far the country’s most indebted public enterprise in this category, accounting for 59.9% of the total portfolio.

The CAA breaks down SONARA’s debt into CFA162.4 billion in bank loans and CFA28.8 billion owed to suppliers. The rounded figures add up to CFA191.2 billion, leaving a CFA100 million difference from the published total, likely due to rounding in the report.

Despite remaining the largest debtor, SONARA has reduced its outstanding debt by CFA8.2 billion since December 2025, when it stood at CFA199.5 billion. The 4.1% decline comes as the company continues to seek financing for the rehabilitation of its refinery, whose operations were halted after a fire in May 2019.

Camair-Co ranks second with CFA62.4 billion, equal to 19.5% of the reported debt stock. Its outstanding debt has remained unchanged since December 2025.

CAMTEL completes the top three with CFA43.6 billion, or 13.6% of the total. The state-owned telecommunications operator reduced its domestic debt by CFA5.9 billion, or 11.9%, compared with the CFA49.5 billion recorded at the end of June 2025.

All other public entities combined account for just CFA22.3 billion, or 7% of the portfolio. The Cameroon Development Corporation carries CFA9.4 billion in debt, followed by FEICOM with CFA7.6 billion, Camwater with CFA5.2 billion, and the Port Authority of Douala with CFA100 million.

Floating Debt Adds Another CFA156.5 Billion

The 93% concentration does not include the floating debt of public enterprises, which the CAA tracks separately.

That category totaled CFA156.5 billion at the end of June 2026, down 19.5% from a year earlier.

Tax and customs obligations make up the largest share at 68.6%, or about CFA107.4 billion. Commercial debt accounts for 21.3%, or CFA33.3 billion. Academic debt represents about CFA13 billion, or 8.3% of the total, while social security obligations amount to CFA2.8 billion, or 1.8%.

The breakdown shows that the liabilities of public enterprises extend beyond bank borrowing and supplier debt to include unpaid taxes, customs duties, social contributions, and other obligations accumulated through day-to-day operations.

Socadel Could Significantly Change the Debt Picture

The CAA notes that the CFA319.6 billion reported for direct domestic debt does not yet include the liabilities of Socadel, created following the renationalization of former power utility Eneo.

The assessment of those liabilities is still underway, based on a preliminary estimate of roughly CFA800 billion.

Taken on its own, that indicative amount is about two and a half times larger than the entire direct domestic debt currently reported for public enterprises. However, it cannot be added directly to the CFA319.6 billion until the CAA finalizes the assessment and determines how the liabilities should be classified, including bank debt, supplier obligations, tax liabilities, social contributions, and any overlapping claims involving other public entities.

As a result, while SONARA, Camair-Co, and CAMTEL currently account for 93% of the direct domestic debt officially reported by the CAA, that concentration reflects only the published portfolio. Once Socadel’s liabilities are incorporated, the financial profile of Cameroon’s state-owned commercial sector could change substantially.

Source: Business in Cameroon

28, July 2026

Cameroon’s hydrocarbon imports rise to CFA274.3 billion ⁰

Cameroon spent CFA274.3 billion on hydrocarbon imports in the first quarter of 2026, a 2.5% increase from a year earlier, even as revenue from crude oil exports fell sharply, according to the National Economic and Financial Committee’s (CNEF) latest economic report.

Between January and March, crude oil exports generated CFA152.4 billion, down 14.4% from CFA178 billion during the same period in 2025. The figures underscore Cameroon’s energy paradox: although the country produces oil and natural gas, it remains heavily dependent on imported refined petroleum products to meet domestic demand.

Fuel imports totaled CFA267.7 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The additional CFA6.6 billion spent this year kept petroleum products as Cameroon’s largest import category, ahead of machinery and mechanical equipment worth CFA115 billion and vehicles valued at CFA82.8 billion.

Export Revenue Falls Despite Higher Oil Prices

The decline in crude oil export earnings came even as global energy prices strengthened. According to the World Bank, Brent crude averaged $103.7 per barrel in March 2026, up 42.8% from $72.6 a year earlier. European benchmark natural gas prices also rose 35.3% over the same period to $17.91 per million BTU.

The drop in Cameroon’s export revenue despite higher prices suggests lower export volumes or changes in the country’s export mix. However, the CNEF report does not provide enough data to determine the exact cause.

The first-quarter figures extend a longer-term decline. Crude oil export revenue, which peaked at CFA1.51 trillion in 2022, fell to CFA705.6 billion in 2025, a drop of more than 50% in three years. Liquefied natural gas exports have followed a similar trend, declining from CFA631.5 billion in 2022 to CFA363.3 billion in 2025, a 42.5% decrease.

Import Bill Remains High

Meanwhile, Cameroon’s spending on imported petroleum products remains structurally high. After reaching a record CFA1.15 trillion in 2022, hydrocarbon imports totaled CFA891.1 billion in 2025. The increase recorded during the first quarter suggests the country’s energy import bill will remain substantial this year. Petroleum imports alone were worth more than twice the value of machinery imports during the period.

The country’s dependence on imported fuels largely stems from the shutdown of the National Refining Company’s (Sonara) refinery following the fire that damaged part of its facilities. As a result, Cameroon exports crude oil while importing gasoline, diesel, kerosene and other refined petroleum products needed by households, businesses and public institutions.

That structure exposes the country to swings in global oil prices, shipping costs and exchange rate movements. It also puts pressure on foreign exchange reserves, the trade balance and public finances, particularly when the government subsidizes fuel prices to shield consumers from international market fluctuations.

BEAC Urges Faster Refinery Projects

The Bank of Central African States (BEAC) is urging Cameroon to accelerate the reconstruction of Sonara and move forward with the planned C-Star refinery in Kribi.

In its report on inflation trends in the CEMAC region through March 2026, the central bank said both projects are essential to reducing the country’s exposure to global oil price volatility and limiting its impact on domestic fuel prices. The government is no longer planning a simple repair of the Sonara refinery. Instead, it intends to completely rebuild and modernize the facility at an estimated cost of about CFA700 billion.

The project includes replacing facilities destroyed in the fire, which damaged four of the refinery’s 13 processing units and a crude oil storage tank. It also calls for adding new processing capacity, including a hydrocracker. The new equipment is expected to improve the refinery’s ability to process domestic crude and increase production of fuels for the local market.

Whether those investments move forward will play a key role in reducing Cameroon’s dependence on imported fuels. Without restoring domestic refining capacity, the country is likely to continue spending heavily on petroleum imports even as revenue from its own hydrocarbon exports continues to decline.

Source: Sbbc

21, July 2026

Biya regime gives ship owner 15 days to clear wreck from Douala Port Channel ⁰

Cameroon has given the owner of the Black Rhino 15 days to remove the container ship from the access channel of the Port of Douala-Bonabéri after it ran aground following a collision earlier this month, as authorities seek to prevent further disruption at the country’s main maritime gateway.

The vessel, which is carrying about 150 containers, has remained stranded in the channel since the accident on the night of July 11-12. Within eight days, the shipowner must submit a final report prepared by its appointed experts, outlining the technical solution selected and a detailed recovery plan.

Specialists from marine salvage firms Wave Group and SMIT have already arrived in Douala. The MSM Dolores, a vessel that could assist in the operation, is also reportedly ready to depart from Bata in Equatorial Guinea.

The recovery plan must detail each stage of the operation, including stabilizing the vessel, removing containers, lifting and towing procedures, refloating operations, safety measures, pollution prevention, and the expected timeline.

If the shipowner fails to submit the plan within the deadline, the government will issue a formal eight-day notice. Should the company still fail to act, the authorities may carry out the operation themselves at the owner’s expense, in accordance with Cameroonian law.

Collision Blocks Part of the Access Channel

The measures were announced after a crisis meeting chaired on July 20 in Douala by Transport Minister Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe.

The collision occurred during the night of July 11-12 in the port’s navigation channel. It involved the Sea Honor, a Tuvalu-flagged cargo ship leaving the port, and the Cyprus-flagged Black Rhino, which was entering the harbor.

The Black Rhino sustained damage near its bridge and was at risk of sinking. The Port Authority of Douala immediately activated its emergency response team.

The Sea Honor was freed and later towed to an anchorage area for repairs. To prevent it from sinking, the Black Rhino was intentionally grounded alongside the channel’s red buoy line, allowing maritime traffic to continue as much as possible. All 15 crew members were evacuated safely, and no fatalities were reported.

Navigation Restrictions Remain in Place

Although shipping resumed a few hours after the collision, the stranded vessel and its cargo continue to restrict navigation through the channel.

According to preliminary findings from the Port Authority of Douala, a steering failure aboard the Black Rhino may have caused the accident. However, that theory remains subject to the ongoing technical investigation.

The inquiry will determine the exact circumstances of the collision and assess the responsibilities of both vessels, their crews, and any other parties involved in the port maneuvers. Keeping the ship in the channel continues to pose operational risks by reducing maneuvering space, limiting access for some vessels, slowing traffic, increasing waiting times, and raising costs for shipping companies.

Authorities are also monitoring environmental risks, including potential hull damage, fuel leaks, and the possibility of containers falling into the water.

Strategic Trade Route at Stake

The Port of Douala handles most of Cameroon’s maritime trade and serves as the main gateway for cargo bound for Chad and the Central African Republic.

Any prolonged disruption to the navigation channel could therefore affect imports, exports, and supply chains in all three countries. The government’s ultimatum reflects its determination to speed up the recovery while ensuring that the shipowner bears the cost of the operation.

Beyond the immediate response, the accident has also highlighted the operational constraints of the Port of Douala’s busy and physically limited navigation channel, where incidents can quickly disrupt maritime traffic.

For the government, the priority is to remove the vessel as quickly as possible, maintain uninterrupted port operations, and preserve confidence among shipping companies.

Source: Business in Cameroon

21, July 2026

Cameroon Gold Scandal: UAE trade data exposes hidden exports amounting $524 million ⁰

Cameroon is set to launch a nationwide operation on August 1 to recover an estimated 305 billion CFA francs ($524 million) in unpaid taxes from undeclared gold exports after trade data from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) exposed major discrepancies in the country’s official export records.

The operation will target 51 mining companies and 33 previously unidentified mining sites suspected of evading taxes and customs duties between 2023 and 2025, according to the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development.

The crackdown follows findings in the 2023 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report, which revealed that Cameroon officially declared exporting just 22.3 kilograms of gold in 2023.

In contrast, customs data from the UAE—one of the world’s largest gold trading hubs—recorded imports of more than 15 tonnes of gold originating from Cameroon during the same period.

According to the Gold Demand Trends report published by the World Gold Council, gold sales in the United Arab Emirates reached approximately 37.8 tonnes during the first nine months of 2023, making the UAE one of the world’s largest and most active gold trading and retail markets.

The discrepancy has fueled concerns over widespread underreporting, smuggling, and weak oversight in Cameroon’s mining sector, resulting in significant losses in tax and royalty revenues.

Cameroon moves to tighten oversight

The recovery campaign will be led jointly by the National Mining Corporation (SONAMINES), the Directorate General of Taxes, and the Directorate General of Customs.

Authorities will audit mining firms suspected of under-declaring production while investigating mining sites that allegedly operated outside official records. The government aims to recover unpaid royalties, mining taxes, and export duties tied to undeclared gold production over the past three years.

The initiative comes as African governments increasingly seek to boost domestic revenues amid rising debt pressures and tighter global financing conditions.

For Cameroon, the effort represents one of the country’s most ambitious attempts to formalize its gold industry and curb illicit mineral exports.

The case also highlights how international trade data is becoming an important tool in exposing illicit financial flows.

By comparing export declarations with customs records from importing countries such as the UAE, authorities can identify inconsistencies that point to underreported production or informal exports.

Cameroon is not alone in facing the challenge. Gold-producing countries including Ghana, Sudan, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have stepped up efforts in recent years to combat smuggling, strengthen mineral traceability, and improve revenue collection from the mining sector.

If successful, Cameroon’s tax recovery drive could serve as a model for how African governments use cross-border trade data to recover lost revenues and tighten oversight of one of the continent’s most valuable export industries.

Source: Business Insider Africa

21, July 2026

Biya must end the scandal of illegal gold exports ⁰

Our nation is watching one of its most valuable natural resources disappear through the back door. Reports that only 5% of the Cameroon’s gold production passes through government channels paint a very disturbing picture of a sector plagued by fraud, tax evasion and weak enforcement.

Billions of francs that should be funding schools, hospitals, roads and public services are instead enriching Cameroonian and international criminal networks and smugglers.

The fact that so much gold reportedly leaves Cameroon through the Yaounde-Nsimalen and Douala international airports raises serious questions about the effectiveness of customs controls and regulatory oversight. Such large-scale operations cannot continue indefinitely without glaring institutional failures that demand urgent investigation.

The Prime Minister Dion Ngute’s administration has a duty to explain how such an enormous volume of gold escapes legal channels. Parliament, anti-corruption agencies including judicial authorities should conduct an independent and transparent inquiry into the networks facilitating this illicit trade, identify those responsible and ensure that anyone found to have abused public office is held accountable.

Many Cameroonians believe that operations of this magnitude could not flourish without protection from influential individuals deep within the presidency of the republic. Whether that belief is justified is precisely why an impartial investigation is essential. If senior officials, security personnel or politically connected figures have enabled or benefited from this illicit trade, they must face the full force of the law. If they have not, a credible investigation is the only way to restore public confidence.

Cameroon’s mineral wealth belongs to its people and not to smugglers, corrupt officials or criminal syndicates. Ending the illegal gold trade requires political courage, transparent governance and an unwavering commitment to accountability. Cameroon deserves nothing less.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman-Editor-In-Chief

19, July 2026

Cameroon’s Afriland Bank opens in Central African Republic ⁰

Afriland First Bank, the lender founded by Cameroonian billionaire Paul Fokam Kammogne, has become the first Cameroonian bank to establish itself in the Central African Republic, opening a branch in a market where fewer than one in ten adults holds a bank account.

The bank announced the opening in a statement on July 15, saying the branch has been operational since June. It is capitalised at 2.15 billion CFA francs, about $3.7 million, and is headed by Zavier Ngueutheu, previously manager of Afriland’s branch in the Cameroonian city of Bertoua.

The move follows authorisation granted in December by the Central African Banking Commission, the regional regulator known as COBAC, under a single-licence regime that allows banks licensed in one member state of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community to open branches across the bloc without seeking separate approvals.

The market Afriland is entering is small but largely untapped. Banking assets in the Central African Republic stood at 519.6 billion CFA francs, roughly $907 million, at the end of 2025. The country has about six million people, only four commercial banks, and a banking penetration rate estimated at 7 percent, leaving the overwhelming majority of the population outside the formal financial system.

Afriland has set an ambitious target. The bank aims to capture 10 percent of deposits in the market by 2030, according to projections submitted to the regulator, and intends to focus on local businesses alongside Cameroonian companies already operating in the country. It plans to build out retail banking, corporate banking and digital services.

The scale of the parent bank dwarfs the market it is entering. Afriland First Bank is the largest Cameroonian bank by balance sheet, with total assets of 2.55 trillion CFA francs, about $4.45 billion, at the end of December, alongside 1.95 trillion francs in deposits and 1.667 trillion francs in outstanding loans. Its new Central African branch holds capital equivalent to a fraction of a percent of that balance sheet.

The opening is the first step in a broader regional push. Afriland is preparing to enter Chad before the end of the year and has signalled plans for the Republic of Congo, markets it has targeted for several years but could not easily reach until the regional licensing rules were eased. The bank said its presence in the Central African Republic reflects a determination to support states, industrialists, investors and individuals across the monetary bloc with banking solutions and local expertise.

Fokam has been building toward this for decades. He founded the institution in 1986 as Caisse Commune d’Epargne et d’Investissement, securing its banking licence in July 1987 with initial capital of 300 million CFA francs, and renamed it Afriland First Bank in 2002. Its capital has grown to 50 billion francs. He has written about the resistance he faced from Cameroonian officials in the bank’s earliest days, describing repeated attempts to seek intervention from President Paul Biya to obtain the authorisation he needed.

The group now spans much of the continent. Afriland operates subsidiaries in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Liberia, South Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe, Benin and Zambia, and has held interests in Uganda. The holding company, Afriland First Group, is based in Geneva and chaired by Fokam, a structure that has drawn periodic criticism from the regional central bank.

His influence extends beyond commercial banking. Fokam built a network of self-managed microfinance cooperatives known as MC2, designed to extend financial services into rural Cameroonian communities, a project he has described as the achievement he is proudest of. The group also runs an investment vehicle, Afriland First Holding, launched in Togo in 2022, which structured a roughly 800 billion CFA franc agro-industrial and power project signed with the Central African government and an Indian industrial partner last year.

That project helps explain the timing of the branch opening. Afriland was already involved in arranging large-scale investment in the Central African Republic before it had a banking presence there, and a local branch gives it the ability to service those transactions directly rather than through correspondent arrangements.

The expansion comes as the group rebuilds its footprint in Central Africa. Afriland had retreated to a single Cameroonian subsidiary in the region after Equatorial Guinea’s government bought out its stake in CCEI Bank GE, a transaction valued at about 44.7 million euros that made the state the majority shareholder in that country’s largest bank.

Fokam, now in his seventies, remains chief executive of the bank he founded and is counted among the wealthiest people in Cameroon. The Central African branch is the first tangible result of a regional strategy that has been years in preparation, and its performance against the 2030 deposit target will indicate whether the rest of the plan can follow.

Source: Billionaire.Africa

18, July 2026

Cameroon, Swiss terminal operator explore options for Limbe Deep Seaport ⁰

The Cameroonian government and Swiss-based Terminal Investment Limited, TIL, have begun examining options for the development, modernization and operation of the future Limbe Deep Seaport. Initial discussions were held during a working session chaired by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute in Yaoundé on July 15, 2026. The discussions brought together senior government officials and representatives of the global terminal operator to assess possible technical and investment models for the project, which authorities view as a strategic addition to Cameroon’s maritime infrastructure and logistics network.

The meeting focused on how the proposed deep-water port could support industrial activity, trade flows and logistics services in the South-West Region while complementing existing facilities in Douala and Kribi. Led by Director of Investments for Terminals, David El-Bez, the TIL delegation shared expertise on port development and advanced terminal operations.

“We came at the invitation of the Cameroonian authorities to examine the development possibilities for the Limbe Deep Seaport. We will now work together with the Cameroonian authorities to see what we can propose in terms of development and activities at the Limbe port,” David El-Bez told reporters after the meeting.

El-Bez said the project could support the development of factories, exports, imports and employment opportunities in the western and southwestern parts of the country. He noted that Limbe was not intended to replace the ports of Douala or Kribi but could occupy a complementary position within Cameroon’s coastal port network.

TIL is already active in Cameroon’s transport and logistics sector through MSC Cameroon, Medlog Cameroon, operations linked to AGL and activities connected to major maritime infrastructure. The company also has experience with container terminal operations in the country, giving it familiarity with local port systems and logistics requirements.

At the end of the meeting, government officials and TIL representatives committed to continuing discussions on technical aspects of the project.

Source: Business in Cameroon