During his visit in Douala on 19 October 2015, Cyrille Bolloré, president of Bolloré Transport Logistics, announced that the Bolloré group intended to finance the feasibility studies and construction works for the railway that extends from Ngaoundéré in the Northern part of Cameroon to Ndjamena, Chad’s capital city.  

Previously selected as technical expert on this project by both governments, the Bolloré group until now was “providing support for the conducted studies ; helping in preparing project’s file for its presentation to investors ; arranging meetings with investors ; participating in talks and in the setting-up of institutional and financial structures”. Now however, the French logistics specialist wants to be an active part in this railway construction project for sub-regional integration.

In addition to the railway extending to Chad and estimated at a cost of 1,160-1,400 billion FCFA, the leader in logistics for Sub-Saharan Africa also eyes the Edéa-Kribi-Lolablé railway project. “We have told Cameroonian authorities we desire to finance the construction for the Edéa-Kribi-Lolablé railway as part of our contribution in the project for Kribi’s industrial-port complex,” Cyrille Bolloré says.

It should be reminded that Cameroon’s government, at the beginning of October 2015, designated a grouping of technical studies offices comprised of Spanish firm Ardanuy, Pakistanese Umar Munshi Associates, British CVG Engineering and Cameroonian Bonus Consulting to conduct feasibility studies for the project to build the Edéa-Kribi (Lolablé excluded) railway.

The Edéa-Kribi-Lolablé railway will help boost the exploitation of Kribi’s deep water port which should go online within the next months. During the phase 2 of its construction, the port of Kribi will host, among other new infrastructures, a hydrocarbon terminal and an iron ore terminal, in preparation of upcoming exploitation of gas liquefaction unit in Kribi, and that of iron ore mines in Eastern Cameroon.

Brice R. Mbodiam