The World Bank has recently approved a $50 million grant to support the development of Cameroon’s transport sector, with a specific focus on improving urban roads in the North-West region’s capital, Bamenda.
This additional financing builds upon the existing Cameroon Transport Sector Development Project. The project aims to achieve several key objectives:
- Strengthen national transport planning
- Improve transport efficiency and safety on the Babadjou-Bamenda section of the Yaoundé-Bamenda corridor, a crucial trade route.
- Enhance safety and security at select airports across the country.
Targeted Investment in Urban Infrastructure
The $50 million grant will be used for the construction, supervision, and monitoring of the Bamenda urban road project. This includes ensuring proper grievance redress mechanisms and measures to prevent gender-based violence during construction.
Expected Benefits
The improved road network in Bamenda is expected to deliver a range of benefits for residents and the local economy:
- Enhanced connectivity within the city, making it easier for people and goods to move around.
- Improved accessibility for residents, promoting access to essential services and opportunities.
- Stimulated business activity due to better transportation links, leading to job creation and economic growth.
Long-Term Vision
“This investment in the Yaoundé-Bamenda corridor will not only improve transportation within Cameroon,” stated Cheick Kante, World Bank Country Director for Cameroon, “but it will also stimulate trade with neighboring Nigeria, strengthen the economies of the North-West and West regions, and ultimately foster greater socio-economic cohesion between communities.”
This latest grant brings the World Bank’s total contribution to the Cameroon Transport Sector Development Project to $242 million.
