The African Development Bank (AfDB) is positioning itself as a major strategic partner for Cameroon, injecting FCFA 270 billion into the Kribi industrial zone. This investment aims to transform the deep-sea port of Kribi into a leading industrial hub, not only for Cameroon but also for the entire Central African sub-region.
The AfDB is committed to mobilizing the entire public funding, amounting to €411 million, and plans to support private funding of €384 million. Beyond the financial aspect, the bank will provide high-level technical support, strengthen local capacities and ensure the integration of demanding standards in terms of energy efficiency, responsible resource management and climate resilience.
The Kribi development project, which spans several decades, aims to make the city a sub-regional hub, thereby strengthening its competitiveness as a world-class port. The AfDB's investments are not limited to direct funding of the industrial zone. The institution is also supporting essential road projects, including the rehabilitation of the Edéa-Kribi road and the construction of the Lolabé-Campo road, as well as a bridge over the Ntem River linking Cameroon to Equatorial Guinea. These initiatives, representing a total investment estimated at FCFA 2,000 billion, are crucial to connecting Kribi to the rest of the sub-region.
The company in charge of developing the future integrated industrial zone, "Kribi Port Industrial Zone (KPIZ)," was officially launched on February 26, 2026 in Yaoundé. Patrice Melom, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KPIZ and Director General of the Autonomous Port of Kribi, stressed that this initiative aims to combine the performance of a deep-water infrastructure and the expertise of leading investors to build a world-class port industrial zone.
The expected benefits by 2040 are considerable. Exports of cocoa and related products are expected to increase from 11,487 tonnes in 2025 to 191,639 tonnes. At least 50,000 direct jobs and 150,000 indirect jobs will be created, and tax revenues will increase significantly. The multiplier effect on the initial investment could reach up to twenty times its original value.
In January 2025, a presidential decree authorized the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, to sign a loan agreement with the AfDB for a second tranche of funding for the Kribi Industrial and Port Zone Infrastructure Development Project (Parzik). This tranche, amounting to nearly FCFA 26 billion, is in addition to an initial tranche of €114 million.
The AfDB reaffirms its commitment to supporting Cameroon in its ambition to transform Kribi into an engine of economic growth for the whole of Central Africa. The financial institution plans to integrate this ambitious project into its medium- and long-term investment planning, using its expertise in infrastructure financing and encouraging reforms to promote private investment.
