A recent joint portfolio review held in Yaoundé on July 14, 2026, between the Cameroonian government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) has brought to light a substantial financial threat for Cameroon. Seven approved operations, valued at 373.419 million Units of Account (UA) – approximately 292 billion FCFA – are now in danger of being canceled. The core issue isn’t a lack of available funds but rather the protracted internal procedures that are hindering project implementation.
It is crucial to understand that these are not funds already disbursed that Yaoundé would need to repay. These financial allocations represent loans and grants that the AfDB has formally approved. However, their agreements were either not signed within the stipulated deadlines, or no payments have been initiated despite legal formalization. Six of these cases fall into the first category, with a seventh experiencing delays in payment activation. The total value of financings with pending agreements amounts to 339.419 million UA, equivalent to nearly 265 billion FCFA.
a major road project, 207 billion fcfa at stake
One project significantly outweighs all others in terms of financial exposure. The Cross-border Economic Basins Opening Up and Connectivity Program, designed to fund the development of the Ngoura-Yokadouma road in the country’s East, alone accounts for 265.4 million UA, roughly 207 billion FCFA. This single operation represents over 71% of the total amount at risk of cancellation. Despite its approval on February 18, 2026, the loan agreement for this critical infrastructure project was still awaiting signature at the time of the review.
Five other initiatives find themselves in a similar administrative gridlock. The second phase of support for the Pan-African University, which was allocated 3.64 million UA by the African Development Fund (ADF) and validated on December 19, 2024, is among those awaiting agreement signatures. Additionally, the list includes the study for the Minkouma hydroelectric development on the Sanaga River (2.994 million UA), the CUA-Y2 university campus study project (2.320 million UA), and the PROSTABLT program for risk prevention through stabilization efforts in the Lake Chad region (5.095 million UA).
Furthermore, a strategic regional dossier is also impacted: the transport and trade facilitation project, which includes the construction of a bridge over the Ntem River at the border with Equatorial Guinea. Approved on November 29, 2023, this project combines an AfDB loan of 39.97 million UA with an ADF loan of 20 million UA.
parzik2: 15 months with no fund disbursement
The seventh project illustrates a different, yet equally costly, operational challenge. The second phase of the Kribi Industrial and Port Zone Access Roads Development Project, known as PARZIK2, actually has a signed agreement. Nevertheless, more than fifteen months after this signing, not a single disbursement had been recorded from its 34 million UA envelope, approximately 26.54 billion FCFA. This project, too, has entered the risk zone, despite Kribi’s pivotal role in Cameroon’s industrial and port strategy.
project execution cycle twice as slow as standard
The data presented during the review paints a concerning picture of project execution timelines. The average period between the approval of funding and the signing of the agreement stands at twelve months, significantly exceeding the AfDB’s standard of three months. It then takes an average of sixteen months for projects to become effective, compared to an expected five months. The initial disbursement typically occurs twenty-one months post-approval, while the target is twelve months. This means nearly two years pass before any funds are actively deployed on the ground.
Alamine Ousmane Mey, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, acknowledged the gravity of this assessment. He highlighted several contributing factors: insufficient project preparation, protracted public procurement processes, the limited capacity of certain management units, and the delayed mobilization of counterpart funds that the state is required to provide alongside external resources. These systemic inefficiencies not only inflate costs but also undermine the nation’s credibility with its financial partners.
Since its inaugural operation in Cameroon in November 1972, the AfDB has committed 130 loans and grants, totaling an estimated 3,345 billion FCFA. The current 2023-2028 program anticipates eleven operations with an estimated approval volume of 833.8 billion FCFA. However, transforming these commitments into tangible, active projects remains the primary challenge in the financial cooperation between Yaoundé and the pan-African institution.
