By Doh James Sonkey
The Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi has disclosed that the Cameroon roads network has progressed from 1980 to 2024 reaching 121%. He made the revelation last September 4, 2025 during a press conference he granted at the Emergence Ministerial Building in Yaounde at the end of the examination of some road projects under execution in the country.
Minister Nganou Djoumessi explained to reporters that, “the roads network reached 121873km in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024, some 1 958,94 km of new roads were constructed and more than 1000km were rehabilitated nationwide. This is in sharp contrast with the 55 000km of roads Cameroon had in the 1980s. The taring of the Sangmélima-Ouesso, Olama-Bingambo, Grand Zambi-Kribi, Batchenga-Ntui, Ntui-Yoko, Yoko-Lena, Lena-Tibati-Ngatt, Maroua-Bogo, Bertoua-Akokan, Akokan-Batouri, Mbama-Messamena etc. Other roads (1 036,43 km) have been rehabilitated or constructed, with others completed such as the Yaoundé-Bafoussam-Babadjou and Maroua-Mora.’’
The Public Works boss stressed that ‘’71,3% of national roads are in satisfactory state with the average of 80% tarred roads in good state, but only 45,1% of regional roads are in satisfactory state of which 67% are tarred, meanwhile 24,2% council roads are in good or average state.’’
The lone State Engineer further explained that Cameroon has some 109km of motorway, 9 387km of National Roads of which 5 945km are tarred, 13 842km of regional roads of which 1 722km are tarred and 98 535km of Council Roads of which 2 800km are tarred. Government is determined to do more in order to satisfy the ever-growing needs of citizens’’, he said.
Minister Nganou Djoumessi said the State is committed in many structural reforms among which are Law of April 27, 2022 on the protection of the road patrimony and the organisation of the 2nd Generation Road Fund intended to better channel and secure resources for the maintenance and rehabilitation of roads.
He also revealed that ‘‘some 132 new projects representing more than 2 370km of roads and 3 065ml of arts works are starting this 2025. Some 141 projects under execution covering a distance of about 7 600km and more than 4 200ml of arts works are expected to be delivered latest 2027.’’
273 projects have been programmed till the end of 2027 in order to continue with the modernisation of the roads network.’’
The Minister concluded that ‘‘despite the unforeseen circumstances such as uncivil behaviours of road users, structural weaknesses of construction companies, security tension in some regions, government continues with its determination to have some projects delivered such as Yaoundé-Obala-Batchenga-Nanga Eboko-Mbet, Sangmélima-Djoum-Mintom-Mbalam-Congo border, Batchenga-Ntui-Yoko-Lena-Tibati, Olama-Bingambo, Grand Zambi-Kribi, etc. and the construction of certain symbolic structures such as the Bridge over River Bongor (620 ml) or over Cross River (408 ml).