Source: African Development Bank
Cameroon has taken a decisive step in its industrialization drive with the formal launch of a company to develop an integrated industrial zone at the deep-water port of Kribi in the south-west of the country.
The Kribi Port Industrial Zone (KPIZ) was inaugurated in Yaounde on February 26, 2026, in a ceremony chaired by KPIZ Chairman and Kribi Port Autonomous Region Director Patrice Merom, attended by project shareholders, senior government officials, heads of diplomatic missions, and representatives of international organizations.
The joint owners of the new company are: Africa Global Logistics (AGL), Arise integrated industry Platform and Belmont Investments. The African Development Bank Group, the initiative’s main project partner and key strategic financier, is committed to mobilizing the full €411 million needed in public financing and is also in a position to support the mobilization of €384 million in private sector investments.
The project, unveiled by the World Bank Group at the 2024 Africa Investment Forum Market Days, is expected to create at least 50,000 direct jobs and 150,000 indirect jobs, and significantly increase fiscal revenues. It is also estimated that every €1 invested in the project will generate a total economic benefit of up to €20. The project will expand Cameroon’s production base, increase the share of manufacturing in GDP and strengthen export competitiveness.
This integrated industrial zone is anchored in the Kribi Port Autonomous Region, one of the continent’s major deep-water port hubs, and is intended to serve as a strategic driver for Cameroon’s industrialization master plan and national development strategy. The Kribi Port Industrial Zone is expected to be a catalyst for inclusive industrialization, sustainable job creation and deeper economic integration in Central Africa.
“The state will provide strategic vision, stability and alignment with national priorities, the private sector will bring capital, technical expertise, execution capacity and innovation, and the African Development Bank will provide financial leadership, structure the financing package and ensure coherence across projects,” said Leandre Bassolet, director of the African Development Bank’s Central African Regional Development, Integration and Business Promotion Department. “Through this strategic investment, we aim to work with the Cameroonian government to foster private sector investment, create sustainable jobs and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in regional and global markets.”
In addition to financing, the African Development Bank will provide high-level technical assistance, support local capacity building, and ensure the integration of energy efficiency, responsible resource management, and climate resilience standards.
“Through this initiative, Port of Kribi aims to combine the performance of deep-water port infrastructure with the expertise of leading investors to develop a world-class port-based industrial zone that will help transform Cameroon’s economy and strengthen Central Africa’s regional competitiveness,” said Merom, Chairman of the KPIZ Board of Directors.
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