The Cameroonian government is considering a 15% increase in electricity tariffs for professional consumers at low voltage with consumption exceeding 220 kWh [cite: ]. This measure is part of a restructuring plan for the former Eneo, now called Socadel, developed by the Ministry of Water and Energy (Minee) in March 2026 [cite: ]. The project was presented to financial partners in the electricity sector, including lenders to the Nachtigal dam, at a meeting at the Ministry of Finance on April 28, 2026 [cite: ].
Low-voltage electricity tariffs have been frozen in Cameroon since 2012 [cite: ]. This freeze has contributed to increasing the tariff compensations that the State must pay to the sector, estimated at 79 billion FCFA in 2025 and 39 billion FCFA in 2026 [cite: ]. In addition, the former Eneo suffers a structural monthly deficit of 13 billion FCFA [cite: ]. The tariff adjustment would reduce the State's budgetary burden and contribute to Socadel's financial recovery [cite: ].
According to the Minee, this increase would remain below the cumulative inflation since 2012, presenting it as a partial catch-up [cite: ]. Households and small consumers (small garages, beauty salons, health centers and shops) would not be affected [cite: ]. The expected gain is estimated at 8.7 billion FCFA of additional revenue per month by 2028 [cite: ].
This measure is part of a broader tariff adjustment dynamic initiated in 2023 by the Electricity Sector Regulatory Agency (Arsel) for high and medium voltage [cite: ]. This reform generated 9 billion FCFA of additional cash flow in 2023 and 10 billion FCFA in 2024 [cite: ]. Since January 1, 2024, an increase in the price of electricity has been applied to medium-voltage customers (industrial), with an increase of 5% for consumption between 0 and 3 MW, and 10% for those between 3 and 10 MW [cite: ].
The implementation schedule for the increase for low-voltage professionals remains to be specified [cite: ]. The Minee document mentions a gradual ramp-up rather than an immediate application [cite: ]. An improvement in service quality is planned, with a reduction in SAIDI (cumulative duration of outages) from 51.5 hours to 45.8 hours by 2027, and in SAIFI (frequency of interruptions) from 20.1 to 18.3 outages per year [cite: ].
However, the diagnosis of the sector remains worrying [cite: ]. According to Célestin Tawamba, president of the Groupement des entreprises du Cameroun (Gecam), 80% of member companies consider the electricity deficit to be their main operational challenge, pointing to load shedding and irregular supply [cite: ]. The tariff adjustment is presented as a major lever in the restructuring plan of the former Eneo, aimed at absorbing a monthly deficit of 13 billion FCFA by the end of 2027 [cite: ].
The Cameroonian State has undertaken a reform of the electricity sector with the transformation of Eneo into Socadel, a public company. This reorganization aims to improve efficiency and strengthen State control over a sector deemed strategic for the country's economic development.
