The Douala Autonomous Port (PAD) and Douala Terre-Port formalized a strategic public-private partnership (PPP) on April 10, 2026, aimed at rehabilitating and modernizing the Boscam wharf regional terminal [cite: ]. This large-scale project, valued at FCFA 126.3 billion, will be fully financed by the private partner under a 30-year concession [cite: ].
The agreement includes not only the rehabilitation of the existing site but also the creation of a new 20-hectare platform. An optional investment phase is also planned, with the construction of a new 700-meter wharf [cite: ]. According to PAD estimates, this initiative could generate up to 500 direct and indirect jobs [cite: ].
The PAD anticipates a return rate of 12.20% over the term of the concession, a level of profitability deemed essential to ensure the economic viability of this partnership [cite: ].
Historically, the Boscam wharf, located on the left bank of the Wouri River, was dedicated to sub-regional traffic. However, it gradually lost its competitiveness from the 1990s due to silting and the accumulation of wrecks. Clearance operations have been carried out to improve access to the area [cite: ].
With this project, the Douala Autonomous Port aims to revitalize regional traffic, particularly through the cabotage of goods and passengers between Douala and other ports of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) [cite: ]. This initiative is also in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to facilitate intra-African trade [cite: ].
The PAD plans to implement simplified procedures for the passage of goods and ships, in order to reduce operating costs and processing times [cite: ]. The modernization of the Boscam wharf is an integral part of the port's development master plan to 2050 and is part of a broader program to transform the Douala port area, aimed at strengthening its competitiveness in the regional market [cite: ]. The port of Douala, the maritime gateway to the Atlantic coast of Cameroon and Central Africa, plays a vital role in the region's trade.
