The Ministry of Public Works (Mintp) reports that over CFA11 billion has been allocated to municipalities in the Northwest region between 2020 and 2024. This funding also includes an additional CFA1.3 billion transferred to the Regional Council in 2023 and 2024, aimed at maintaining local roads.

Despite this financial support, road construction remains challenging in the Northwest. Since late 2016, the Northwest and Southwest regions have faced the Anglophone crisis, marked by violence from separatist militants seeking to divide the country.

As of now, 44% of the road network in the Northwest is under active contracts, yet no work is being done. “The reasons are clear: the Anglophone crisis,” stated Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, Minister of Public Works, during a parliamentary session in November 2021. He noted that many companies have abandoned their projects, while others have failed to engage.

A prime example of the difficulties in road construction in the Northwest is the Babadjou-Bamenda road. This route connects the Western region to the Northwest and was contracted to Sogea-Satom in 2017. However, the company suspended work in September of that year due to attacks on its equipment and threats against its staff from armed separatists.

After a brief lull, construction resumed but faced further disruptions. Work was again halted on January 14, 2020, following a deadly attack just a week earlier. Since January 2022, the Cameroonian company Buns has taken over the project, following a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Defense (Mindef) to secure the site with military protection.

Source: Business in Cameroon