The government has formally opened a public-private partnership tender for extending the motorway linking Douala, the country’s economic capital and main port, with Yaoundé, the political capital. The corridor already carries a large share of the nation’s freight traffic, and officials say added capacity is meant to cut transport times and vehicle wear on one of Central Africa’s busiest trade routes.
Under the proposed structure, a private concessionaire would finance, build, and operate the extension in exchange for toll revenue over a multi-decade concession period, with the state retaining ownership of the underlying asset. Similar PPP structures have been used for other transport and energy projects in the region, with mixed results depending on how risk is allocated between public and private partners.
Who can bid
The call for expressions of interest is open to consortiums that combine international construction and financing expertise with local partners, reflecting a broader government push to ensure Cameroonian firms gain experience on large infrastructure projects rather than acting only as subcontractors.