• Douala port revenue up 25.9%, but traffic drops 6.9%
• Import, export volumes decline; vessel calls down 11%
• Congestion, aging equipment, and dredging delays hinder operations
  

The Port Authority of Douala (PAD), Cameroon’s main maritime gateway, reported mixed results in the first quarter of 2025. While the port’s revenue rose 25.9%, overall traffic fell 6.9%, according to the Ministry of Finance’s economic bulletin.

The decline in traffic stemmed from reduced cargo volumes in both imports (-8.1%) and exports (-1.8%). The number of vessels docking at the Douala-Bonabéri port also dropped by 11%, from 293 ships in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 260 in the first quarter of 2025.

This weaker operational performance contrasts with the sharp rise in revenue, which the Ministry mainly attributed to a one-off event, the payment of land concession fees early in the year. Year-on-year, shipping revenue increased 3.2%, while overall traffic fell 2.9%, driven by declines of 1.3% in import tonnage and 9% in exports. The figures highlight persistent bottlenecks in the country’s port logistics network.

The Port of Douala remains the economic heart of Cameroon, handling between 75% and 85% of national freight and serving as a vital outlet for landlocked Chad and the Central African Republic. Yet it continues to struggle with chronic congestion. According to logistics platform Gocomet, vessel waiting times have reached nine days, compared with about seven days at regional competitors such as Abidjan or Lekki in Nigeria.

Several factors contribute to these delays. Access via the Wouri River requires constant dredging to accommodate larger vessels, while heavy seasonal rains have slowed docking operations. The seasonal surge in activity, driven by the cocoa export campaign and higher regional demand, also worsens congestion at the terminals.

PAD says it is continuing to invest in modernization. In late 2023, the company announced a CFA 12 billion investment to acquire eight new yard cranes aimed at boosting productivity. However, aging equipment, slow dredging, and steadily rising traffic continue to weigh on performance at Cameroon’s main port.

Amina Malloum