Egyptian company Arab Contractors won a CFA31.09 billion deal to rehabilitate 72.5 km of road in the central region of Cameroon.
Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, the Minister of Public Work, indicated that the contract was a mutual agreement validated by the Presidency of the Republic on June 6, 2022. Under this deal, Arab Contractors will renovate the sections of Nkolbisson interchange- Zamengoué interchange-Ekekam-Evodoula (43.95 km) and Ekekam-Monatele (28.5 km). Work is expected to last 24 months.
Yet, we should recall that Arab Contractors has worked on other road projects in Cameroon but has shown some irregularities in the execution of contracts. In 2020, for example, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi sent a formal notice to the company after imperfections were noted on the Bikoula-Djoum road section (38 km), in the southern region. Also, in partnership with Synohydro and China Road and Bridge Corporation, Arab Contractors took nearly seven years to build 12.3 km of the countryside section of the Yaoundé-Nsimalen highway.
The new project will make it possible to connect Monatélé, the capital of the Lekié department, to Yaoundé by a shorter route, saving transport costs and reducing the duration. The road linking this part of the Lekié department to the outskirts of Yaoundé is an important axis for the supply of food products to the capital. However, because of the poor condition of the road, transporters increased transportation costs. By snowball effect, the prices of foodstuffs are higher in Yaoundé.
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