Kribi and Douala: A Strategic Alliance for a Central African Port Hub
Kribi and Douala: A Strategic Alliance for a Central African Port Hub
A framework cooperation agreement seals the complementarity between Cameroon’s two main ports
On May 5, 2017, the Port Authority of Douala (PAD) and the Port Authority of Kribi (PAK) signed a framework cooperation agreement. This agreement marks the transfer of Kribi’s assets, previously managed by the PAD, to the PAK, and confirms the vision of establishing Cameroon as a port hub in Central Africa.
A ceremony under the banner of cooperation
The signing ceremony took place at the Port of Kribi in Mboro, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Transport, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o.
On this occasion, he declared:
“The dynamic of making Cameroon a port hub will be carried by PAK and PAD. Douala and Kribi must, together, constitute a safe and secure logistics platform serving the national economy, as well as the economies of the sub-region and beyond.”
A strategic complementarity
The creation of a deep-sea port in Kribi aims to offset the structural limitations of the Douala estuary port, whose nautical capacity restricts the reception of larger vessels.
This complementarity is part of the national port development strategy, which promotes specialization among ports rather than open competition.
A strong signal of port reform
The transfer of Kribi’s assets from PAD to PAK marks a decisive milestone:
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it materializes the 1998 port reform,
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it underscores the government’s determination to bring this strategic platform into operation without delay,
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it strengthens cooperation between Cameroon’s two main ports to boost the competitiveness of the country and the sub-region.
