The Cameroon Electricity Corporation (SOCADEL), the new public company set to replace Eneo, has reached a decisive milestone with the appointment of its first General Manager, Oumarou Hamandjoda. This appointment follows the first meeting of the Board of Directors, held this Tuesday in Yaoundé.
Created by presidential decree on April 4, 2026, SOCADEL marks a profound reorganization of the Cameroonian electricity sector. The holding of this first Board of Directors meeting was therefore crucial to install the management team that will lead this transition. The directors chose Oumarou Hamandjoda to carry out this mission, in a context of high expectations in terms of performance and continuity of service.
Oumarou Hamandjoda, former Deputy General Manager of Eneo, is therefore taking over the management of SOCADEL. As a power plant engineer, he will have to implement the activities of SOCADEL, which is gradually taking over from Eneo in a fully public framework. The main objective is to strengthen the governance and efficiency of the national electricity sector, as frustrations related to power cuts persist.
The Cameroonian government has decided to transform Eneo into a fully state-owned company, SOCADEL, with a capital of 43.9 billion FCFA. This initiative follows the state's purchase of shares from Actis, a British fund, for 78 billion FCFA. The State is now the sole shareholder of SOCADEL, although the future opening of the capital to public or private investors is being considered.
SOCADEL's mission will be to cover all activities related to the production, distribution, import, export, purchase, sale and use of electrical energy. The concession agreement established for the benefit of Eneo is transferred to SOCADEL, subject to the consideration of new or specific elements. The staff of the former Eneo (3,600 employees of Cameroonian origin) will primarily constitute the workforce of the new company.
While the creation of SOCADEL raises hope, skepticism remains. On the very day the decree was signed, residents of Yaoundé and Douala reported power cuts. Small entrepreneurs, who are particularly dependent on electricity, face serious difficulties.
"These social benefits are proof that the energy transition is also a citizen transition," said Oumarou Hamandjoda, then Deputy General Manager of Eneo, in September 2025. The task ahead of him at the head of SOCADEL is immense.
