During a joint portfolio review held in Yaoundé on July 14, 2026, the Cameroonian government and the African Development Bank (BAD) identified a critical financial risk: 292 billion CFA francs in approved funding could face cancellation. The issue stems not from a lack of resources but from prolonged internal delays that have stalled project implementation.
These funds—totaling 373.419 million accounting units—include loans and grants already validated by the BAD, but their agreements were either signed after deadlines or remain unsigned despite legal formalization. Six projects fall into the first category, while one faces a different hurdle: a signed agreement but no disbursement in over 15 months. The suspended funds amount to 339.419 million accounting units, or nearly 265 billion CFA francs.
Ngoura-Yokadouma road project at risk of losing 207 billion cfa francs
The Transboundary Economic Basin Connectivity Program, which aims to fund the Ngoura-Yokadouma road in eastern Cameroon, is the most pressing case. Approved on February 18, 2026, the 265.4 million accounting unit loan (about 207 billion CFA francs) remains unsigned. This single project accounts for over 71% of the total funds at risk of cancellation.
Five additional projects share a similar fate due to administrative bottlenecks. These include the second phase of the Pan-African University Support Project (3.64 million accounting units, approved December 19, 2024), the Minkouma hydroelectric feasibility study on the Sanaga River (2.994 million accounting units), the CUA-Y2 university campus study (2.320 million accounting units), and the PROSTABLT Lake Chad risk prevention program (5.095 million accounting units). A regional initiative—the transport and trade facilitation project, including a bridge over the Ntem River at the Equatorial Guinea border—also remains stalled. Approved on November 29, 2023, it combines a BAD loan of 39.97 million accounting units and an African Development Fund loan of 20 million accounting units.
parzik2 project: 15 months without a single disbursement
The second phase of the Kribi Industrial and Port Area Road Development Project (PARZIK2) highlights a different but equally damaging issue. Despite a signed agreement, no funds have been disbursed in over 15 months. The 34 million accounting unit envelope (about 26.54 billion CFA francs) is now at risk, even though Kribi is a key pillar of Cameroon’s industrial and port strategy.
execution cycle twice as slow as the standard
Review data reveals alarming inefficiencies. The average time between funding approval and agreement signing stands at 12 months—four times the BAD’s three-month target. Contracting processes then take an average of 16 months to activate, against an expected five months. The first disbursement occurs 21 months post-approval, though the goal is 12 months. Nearly two years pass before any funds reach the ground.
Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Economy, Planning, and Territorial Development, acknowledged these gaps. He cited inadequate project preparation, delays in public procurement, weak project management units, and delayed mobilization of counterpart funds as key obstacles. These delays inflate costs and undermine Cameroon’s credibility with international lenders.
Since its first operation in Cameroon in November 1972, the BAD has committed 130 loans and grants totaling 3,345 billion CFA francs. The 2023-2028 program includes 11 operations worth 833.8 billion CFA francs. Yet, turning these commitments into tangible projects remains the weakest link in financial cooperation between Yaoundé and the panafrican institution.