The African Development Bank Group has granted €309.93 million in financing to Cameroon to support the first phase of the Program for Opening Up and Connecting Cross-Border Economic Basins in the East Region (PDCBET).
The funding will enable the development and paving of the 156-kilometer Ngoura II – Yokadouma section, part of the strategic Bertoua–Batouri–Ngoura II – Yokadouma – Moloundou – Congo border corridor.
“This operation illustrates the Group’s continued commitment to supporting Cameroon in the structural transformation of its economy. By improving connectivity in the East region and integrating it into cross-border corridors, we are helping unlock productive potential and strengthen regional integration in Central Africa,” said Léandre Bassolé, the Group’s Director General for Central Africa.
Beyond its economic impacts, the program is also seen as a lever for social cohesion, helping reduce territorial disparities and prevent security vulnerabilities in a particularly isolated region.
The construction of this road addresses three major priorities: opening up the East region and strengthening regional integration by linking neighboring Congo; creating jobs and promoting socio-economic inclusion, particularly for youth, women, and vulnerable minorities; and supporting the private sector, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience.
The implementation of the program is expected to generate at least 2,500 direct and indirect jobs. The new all-season road infrastructure will facilitate trade between production areas and commercial centers, reduce transportation costs, and sustainably improve living conditions for local populations while enhancing the competitiveness of economic operators.
The East region, Cameroon’s largest region with 109,000 square kilometers (nearly 23% of the national territory), has a road paving rate of around 6.25% and a road density of 0.70 km per 1,000 inhabitants, factors that have hindered the development of local productive potential and the private sector.
Since 2015, the African Development Bank Group has supported Cameroon’s transport sector through several projects aimed at improving the national road network, particularly in the Adamaoua, North, Far North, Northwest, Littoral, and South regions. The current portfolio includes nine active projects, representing a total financial commitment of approximately €1.19 billion.
