YAOUNDE, October 04, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — Cameroon has approved a $391 million World Bank loan to develop the economic corridor linking its main commercial hub, Douala, with Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, as the government steps up borrowing to finance infrastructure and cover budget needs.
President Paul Biya authorised the 347.5 million-euro agreement, equivalent to about $390.9 million, with the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, according to a presidential decree issued Friday.
The financing will support the development of the Douala-Bangui Economic Corridor, a major transport and trade route connecting Cameroon with the landlocked Central African Republic, the decree said.
In a separate decree, Biya authorised the economy minister to sign a 212.35 million-euro, or about $238.9 million, financing agreement with the Islamic Development Bank to rehabilitate the Douala-Bafoussam highway.
The two projects add to a broader borrowing drive as Cameroon seeks to address infrastructure needs while managing fiscal pressures.
In August, the president authorised the finance minister to raise up to 930 billion CFA francs, equivalent to about $1.67 billion, through domestic and external borrowing. The funds were intended to finance development projects and settle outstanding arrears.
Cameroon is Central Africa’s largest economy, with oil and gas, cocoa and timber among its major sectors. The government has increasingly relied on borrowing to help finance infrastructure and cover budget shortfalls.
The Douala-Bangui corridor is particularly important to the Central African Republic, which depends heavily on transport links through neighbouring Cameroon for access to international trade routes.