The French Development Agency (AFD) has released a second tranche of CFA 12 billion to the Yaoundé Cœur de Ville project, an ambitious program led by the Yaoundé City Council (CUY). The announcement was made on April 28, 2026, by the Mayor of Yaoundé, Luc Messi Atangana, during a tour of the various construction sites aimed at improving urban mobility in the Cameroonian capital.
"The pace of work is satisfactory, so much so that it has allowed the project to obtain the disbursement of its 2nd tranche from the financial partner, the AFD... Which has been used to pay the accounts of the companies mobilized," said the Mayor. This new funding brings the total amount disbursed by the AFD to CFA 21.1 billion.
Launched on June 11, 2025, at the Mvan site, the project is beginning to have a visible impact on several key points in the city. In Mvan, the works include the expansion of the intersection and the construction of a new bus station nearby. At the Elig-Effa intersection, a concrete tunnel foreshadows the future grade-separated interchange with a roundabout. Further north, in Messa, the old bus station has been demolished to make way for new infrastructure.
According to the CUY, the so-called "structural" works show a completion rate of 32.2%, exceeding the initial schedule of 30% after ten months of work. The fast-impact operations, concerning the minibus terminals of the General Treasury and the Jaco Building, as well as the development of the Awae Escalier and Sous-Manguiers crossroads, are even more advanced, with a completion rate of 70% after nine months.
The progress of the construction site has been facilitated by the payment of compensation to people affected by the project, allowing for faster release of the land. More than CFA 1.2 billion in compensation agreements have been signed, with CFA 944.5 million already paid out. Despite this, some occupations persist, and the mayor has warned that after a phase of awareness, stricter measures could be taken.
The Yaoundé Cœur de Ville project represents a total investment of CFA 48.5 billion, financed to the tune of CFA 43 billion by the AFD and CFA 5.5 billion by the Cameroonian State. It includes the reconfiguration of the Mvan and Elig-Effa crossroads, the reconstruction of the Mvan and Messa bus stations, the redevelopment of the Awae Escalier and Sous-Manguiers crossroads, the reconstruction of two terminals for minibuses and taxis, and the development of hiking trails on Mount Messa. The works, entrusted to Razel Bec Cameroun for a period of 30 months, also include a social component with a budget of around one billion CFA francs for compensation and the relocation of traders.
Beyond the mobility aspects, the project aims to improve the quality of urban life, with safer roads, a reduction in accidents and air pollution. The CUY highlights satisfactory execution and a construction site engaged on several fronts, emphasizing the importance of maintaining this pace to ensure the delivery of infrastructure on time. The project is part of the Yaoundé Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, aimed at modernizing and optimizing transport in the capital.
The AFD also supports other structuring projects in Cameroon, particularly in the areas of urban resilience and flood risk management. In January 2026, the AFD granted a loan of CFA 98.4 billion to fight flooding in Douala and Yaoundé, highlighting the importance of reducing the vulnerability of urban populations to climate risks.
