• Cameroon approves canoe manufacturing unit in Kribi for 2026

• CFA 600 million budget adopted by MIDEPECAM board

• Facility aims to boost artisanal fishing and cut imports

Cameroon has approved the construction of a canoe manufacturing unit in Kribi in 2026 as part of a nearly CFA 600 million (around $1.07 million) budget adopted by the board of the Maritime Fisheries Development Fund (MIDEPECAM). The decision was announced at the end of the institution’s 40th board session held on Friday 27 February in Douala, chaired by the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Dr Taïga, in the presence of the Littoral Governor, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua.

According to reports, the new unit will be built in Kribi, in the Ocean division of the South region, and is expected to support the expansion of artisanal fishing activities with the aim of significantly increasing fish production. The 2026 budget, amounting to nearly CFA 600 million, was examined and adopted during the session. According to MIDEPECAM Director General, Dr Tambi Sammy Ako, the approved funds will also be used to supply artisanal fishermen with fishing equipment. In addition to infrastructure development, MIDEPECAM will continue supplying national markets with quality fishery products throughout 2026.

During the meeting, board members also reviewed the 2026-2028 performance programme. The Minister stated that the budget would primarily finance Midepecam’s operational activities and contribute to the government’s integrated import-substitution plan. He indicated that strengthening domestic production remains central to reducing reliance on fish imports and improving supply across the country.

The session took place against the backdrop of the strategic role of artisanal fishing in Cameroon’s fisheries system. Official figures show that the fisheries sector accounts for 80% of national fish production. The maritime artisanal sub-sector is the most productive, with output estimated at more than 90,000 tonnes per year, although this remains below domestic demand. According to MIDEPECAM, fish is the most widely consumed source of animal protein in Cameroon, with annual per capita consumption ranging between 13.6kg and 19kg.

This represents 42.3% of animal protein intake and covers 9.5% of total nutritional needs. Figures from the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries estimate that the number of artisanal fishermen stood at 20,000 in 2019. The planned canoe manufacturing facility is expected to reinforce production capacity and support efforts to narrow the supply gap in a sector considered central to national food security and import substitution.

Mercy Fosoh, with Business in Cameroon