The project company responsible for developing the future integrated industrial zone attached to the deep-water port of Kribi was officially launched on February 26, 2026, in Yaoundé. Dubbed the Kribi Port Industrial Zone (KPIZ), this initiative aims to bring processing units closer to port infrastructure, with the aim of capturing more local added value.
Initially scheduled for July 2025, the implementation of the KPIZ was delayed by complex negotiations between the various partners. In particular, the Moroccan agency Tanger Med Special Agency (TMSA) withdrew from the consortium. Finally, the management of the project was entrusted to a consortium comprising the Port Authority of Kribi (PAK), Africa Global Logistics (AGL), Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP) and Belmont Investments. This alliance structures the operational framework of the zone, which extends over a land reserve of 4,000 hectares.
The development of this industrial zone represents a total investment estimated at around 521.5 billion FCFA. The first phase, amounting to 262.4 billion FCFA, is supported by international donors such as the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union, through the Global Gateway program. The KPIZ's mission is to promote the local processing of raw materials, in order to increase added value before export.
Several sectors are targeted, including the agro-industry for the processing of local crops, the timber industry for the production of finished products, the construction materials industry and the logistics center to support regional flows. This project plans to create 150,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The infrastructure should reduce Cameroon's dependence on imports, while diversifying state revenue through increased tax and customs revenues. By shifting the export of raw products to high value-added products, Cameroon seeks to stabilize its trade balance. The KPIZ aims to integrate global value chains and strengthen the strategic autonomy of the national economy in the face of fluctuating commodity prices. This project is part of the National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (SND30) and aims to transform the deep-water port of Kribi into an economic hub for Central Africa.
Commissioned in 2018, the port of Kribi has become the country's main maritime platform and a strategic transit point for landlocked Central African states, such as Chad and the Central African Republic. Between 2018 and 2025, nearly 400 billion FCFA has already been invested there by industrial companies active in various sectors, such as cocoa, cement, flour milling and logistics.
The Kribi port industrial zone covers 4,000 hectares and its development will take place in phases, based on a sectoral cluster approach. Specific areas will be dedicated to heavy and medium industries, agri-food industries, as well as research and development activities, creating synergies between companies and optimizing value chains. The construction of a 225 kV electricity transmission line connecting the Kribi gas plant to a transformer station will supply power to industries in the area. An immediate capacity of 100 MW is planned, with future projections between 330 MW and 400 MW.
