On the sidelines of the seminar to review the feasibility study for the project to extend the Chad-Cameroon railway, held from 22 to 26 April 2024 in Kribi, members of the project’s steering committee visited the port site of Mboro.
This was more than a simple visit. There was actually the need to have a realistic view of maritime transport which will be a major stake for the sister Republic of Chad, especially for the planned extension of the railway.
As a matter of fact, the Port of Kribi is a major transit corridor for goods bound for Chad. Depending on Chad’s growing needs, the demand on Port of Kribi might even be greater. The extension of the railway is thus part of the solution planned to facilitate the transport of goods to N’Djamena and the cities of Chad. Hence the keen interest of the Committee members though the study is at the preliminary design stage. This was the opportunity to have an idea of the Port’s potential capacity to catch and send cargo to the railway up to N’Djamena.
The visit took place in 3 stages: first, the second phase of the Port extension project with the construction of a 715-metre quay. Secondly, the visit of the space granted to Kribi Container Terminal (KCT) for the container and multipurpose terminals. Finally, the first breakwater built during phase 1 with a total length of 2.2km. The visit ended with a tour of the industrial port zone where companies are encouraged to settle in the 15,000 ha of land provided in this regard. Throughout the visit, the members of the Steering Committee, namely Issa MAHAMAYE KHAMIS, Deputy Secretary General of the Minister of Transport of Chad and equally Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the project, had the opportunity to acquire information about the accommodation capacity of the various terminals, the storage capacity within the port, the time for container removal in the Port of Kribi. Calming answers were provided to the concern over potential future challenges in case of congestion in the Port.
It is worth reminding that this project is funded by the African Development Bank for a railway of almost 2,100 km and is the result of the will of the Heads of State of Cameroon and Chad. This project will bring a significant momentum to sub-regional integration to start the search for funding phase.
