Author: benberga@yahoo.fr

In 2024, the 390 microfinance institutions (MFIs) operating in Cameroon granted 659.4 billion CFA francs (approximately USD 1.2 billion) in credit to economic agents, according to data from the Central African Banking Commission (COBAC). This volume is up by about 41 billion CFA francs (nearly USD 75 million) on an annual basis and represents 57.6% of the microfinance credit market in all countries of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). According to an official list released by the Ministry of Finance (Minfi) on December 31, 2025, 385 MFIs were authorized to operate in Cameroon in 2026. Although…

The Douala Autonomous Port (PAD) is preparing to reach a strategic milestone with the launch, announced for March 2026, of construction works for its 300 MW autonomous power plant at the Douala-Bonabéri port. Estimated at 628 billion CFA francs (nearly 1.15 billion USD), this structuring project aims to sustainably secure the energy supply for port activities, while creating excess capacity for the Douala city grid. Embedded in the PAD’s development master plan, the investment serves a dual economic imperative. Firstly, it aims to enhance the reliability of the logistics chain. Secondly, the top management aims to strengthen the attractiveness of…

Since February 7, 2026, a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed in Abu Dhabi, links Gabon and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This agreement will increase the volume of trade between the two countries to 176.2 billion CFA francs (320 million USD) in the coming years. The agreement, concluded between Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Emirati Minister of Foreign Trade, and Thierry Minko, Gabonese Minister of Economy, is part of a dynamic of strengthened economic rapprochement between the two countries. For Libreville, the objective goes beyond simply increasing trade volume. In a context where the Gabonese economy remains heavily…

On February 5, 2026, the President of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) Commission decided to temporarily suspend all activities of the institution due to a lack of funds. Upon analysis, this decision goes beyond mere administrative matters. It reveals a structural financial crisis with cascading effects on the governance, credibility, and...

As a pillar of Cameroonian foreign trade and the main logistics hub of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), the Port of Douala is going through an institutional crisis whose repercussions go beyond a simple contractual dispute. The conflict over the management of goods scanning, involving port authorities, central administrations, and private operators,...

According to official data, in 2024, remittances from the Cameroonian diaspora exceeded 652 billion CFA francs (approximately 1.2 billion USD), representing about 8.4% of Cameroon’s 2025 revised budget of 7,735.9 billion CFA francs (approximately 14 billion USD). These flows constitute a stable, recurring financial resource that is largely underutilized by the Cameroonian government. “If the...

Financial economist Dr. Marc Onana Ombé, CEO of the Credit and Strategy Firm in Douala, shares his analysis of diaspora bonds, a new fundraising instrument for Cameroon to transform the savings of its diaspora into a development lever. Interview conducted by Bernard BANGDA What are the main advantages for Cameroon in creating a diaspora bond compared to conventional loans? A diaspora bond has a major advantage in its low recovery cost compared to traditional international financial markets. Indeed, since its implementation by China in 1930, diaspora bonds have reduced debt costs related to low interest rates and the patriotic momentum…

The hypothesis of a new postponement of legislative and municipal elections in Cameroon not only sparks political debates. It also fuels strong economic concerns in a country already weakened by the aftermath of the October 2025 presidential election. For investors, the combination of a slipping electoral calendar, a tense political climate, and a perceived hesitant...

In financial circles of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), experts believe that “the assumption of a new economic program supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) repositions Gabon’s budgetary credibility at the center of the country’s macro-financial issues in 2026”. And for good reason, they explain, “without an official formal request...

In Congo, new bank loans reached 265.9 billion CFA francs (approximately 484.4 million USD) in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of nearly 47% year-on-year. This dynamic comes in a context of borrowing rates around 9.7%, among the most competitive within the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). According to the...

On January 21, 2026, BWA Group PLC, a British mining investment company, announced the discovery of gold in Aracari, a locality located about sixty kilometers north of Ngaoundéré, in the Adamaoua region. This discovery marks a turning point for Cameroon’s mining economy. This announcement, resulting from a rigorous prospecting campaign, validates the geological potential of...

Libreville is moving towards the International Monetary Fund (IMF) without formalizing an official program request. This approach raises questions about the management of public debt and the consequences for its international financial commitments. Although Gabon is intensifying technical dialogue with the IMF, notably through a mission planned for February 2026, no formal request has been...

The Autonomous Port of Douala (PAD), the main logistics hub of Cameroon and a strategic crossroads for intra-regional trade, has recently been at the center of a major institutional battle. This includes the overhaul of goods scanning control, and a favorable legal precedent in the dispute with Douala International Terminal (DIT), formerly a subsidiary of the Bolloré group. This has deep implications for the management of port infrastructure, the securing of customs revenues, and national economic sovereignty. Since late 2025, the issue of goods scanning at the Douala-Bonabéri Port illustrates a power struggle between the PAD and the Ministry of…

Successful review for public-private partnerships (PPPs). Unanimously, they have just been [once again] recognized as “a development tool for Africa” but also “an instrument to fight hidden public debts”. This impression emerged from the interventions of the panelists who, on January 23, 2026 in Banjul, Gambia, focused on the central theme of the 7th edition of the Financial Afrik Awards (7FAA): “Public Private Partnerships as an alternative to public debt in Africa”. After setting the stage, the CEO of Global Mind, Seynabou Dia, gave the floor to the Special Advisor to the President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD),…

In a press release published on its website on January 23, 2026, the African Export-Import Bank announced the end of its collaboration with the American rating agency Fitch Ratings. According to Afreximbank, this decision follows a thorough review of the relationship with the agency. The bank believes that “the rating [by Fitch Ratings] no longer...

As announced, the heads of state of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) met on January 22, 2026 in Brazzaville. According to the final communiqué of the meeting, they confirmed “the continuation of the macroeconomic stabilization strategy initiated since 2024”. The analysis of this document also reveals that the summit did not...

Cameroon will borrow 1.650 trillion CFA francs (nearly USD 3 billion) on the capital markets. The information is contained in a presidential decree signed on January 21, 2026. In which the Cameroonian president, Paul Biya, authorizes the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motazé, to raise this amount. According to the aforementioned document, these funds will...

In Bertoua, in the East region of Cameroon, a project for an industrial park dedicated to wood processing is soon to be launched. Estimated at 430 billion CFA francs (around 770 million USD), this project is led by the Emirati investment fund SGC Investment LLC in partnership with the Mission for the Development and Management...

According to the 2026 budget of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), adopted on December 19 in Bata (Equatorial Guinea) by the Ministerial Committee of the Central African Monetary Union (UMAC), this issuing institution expects revenues of 586.6 billion CFA francs (approximately USD 1.05 billion). This level, approved by the board of directors, reflects...

Overall, as of the end of September 2025, in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), the sub-regional inflation rate has fallen below the community threshold of 3%. It has dropped from 4.3% a year ago to 2.8% at the end of the period under review. On an annual basis, the trend is even more pronounced, with a decrease to 1.4% in September 2025, after 4.1% at the same period in 2024. According to the report on CEMAC’s monetary policy released on December 22, 2025, “this disinflation is explained by both external and internal factors. Internationally, the gradual…

During his appearance before the deputies on November 18, 2025, the Minister of Finance (Minfi) revealed that with the 46 billion CFA francs (nearly 80 million USD) received by Geocoton for the repurchase, in July 2025, by the Cameroonian government, of 30% of its shares in the Cotton Development Company (Sodecoton), the French group Geocoton intends to finance the acquisition of shares in the French airline Corsair. According to Louis Paul Motaze, the repurchase of some shares in Corsair by Geocoton aims to create a joint venture with the Cameroon Airlines Corporation (Camair Co), the national airline of Cameroon. Ultimately,…

After two years of negotiations between Cameroon, accompanied by the firms KPMG Finance SAS, in terms of finance, and Chazai Wamba, technical expert, and the British investment fund Actis, assisted by Financia Capital and Amadagana & Partners, the Cameroonian government regains majority control of Eneo, the electricity concessionaire in the country. The official signing ceremony...

During a recent webinar co-organized in Paris by the Banque de France and the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI), on the theme: “What role for central banks and banking supervisors in the fight against climate change?”, the Central African Banking Commission (COBAC) and the Central African States Bank (BEAC) revealed their project to transform the B window of the money market into a green window to address the rising climate risks in the six countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Chad) of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). According…

The Central African government is planning a total budget of 368.43 billion CFA francs (640 million USD), a slight increase of 1.23 billion CFA francs (about 2.2 million USD) compared to the 2025 budget, which was estimated at 367.2 billion CFA francs (639 million USD). This is outlined in the draft Finance bill submitted to...

In its economic outlook on Cameroon’s public debt published at the end of September 2025, the Autonomous Amortization Fund (CAA) reveals that Cameroon has raised 159 billion XAF (275 million USD) from local banks, with partial or total guarantee from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), without specifying the lenders. This debt is part of the...

Since its implementation in 2013, the law on encouraging private investment has allowed the State of Cameroon to conclude 424 investment agreements for a total amount of 7.504 trillion CFA francs (13 billion USD). The information was revealed by the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (Minepat), Alamine Ousmane Mey, as he defended the...

On November 14, 2025, on behalf of the Gabonese government, the Ministry of Economy responded to a report from Bloomberg, released on November 12, 2025. In which this American private agency specializing in finance indicated that the country’s economy was suffering from “perceived instability since the Transition and the structural fragility of the Gabonese economy,...

Libreville, the capital of Gabon, welcomed a delegation of Russian investors on November 14, 2025. According to the parties involved, the Russians were aiming to “explore the field in order to strengthen economic cooperation between Gabon and Russia”. The delegation from Moscow consisted of economic operators from the energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and technology sectors. This...

Between 2017 and 2024, the total volume of trade exchanges between Cameroon and the European Union (EU) reached 2.755 trillion CFA francs (4.85 billion USD), according to data jointly compiled by the Ministry of Commerce and the EU Delegation to Cameroon. Upon analysis, this figure illustrates the strength and resilience of economic relations between the...

According to the recent economic outlook on public debt published by the Autonomous Amortization Fund (CAA), as of September 30, 2025, the Cameroonian public treasury accumulates outstanding payments (RAP) estimated at 171.3 billion FCFA (302 million USD). The public debt manager notes that “these invoices pending payment to the public treasury for more or less...