African Development Bank delegation satisfied with operations in the transport sector

In the Conference Room of the Cabinet of the Minister of Transport, the Minister on the one hand, closely assisted by the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Transport, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport and a fleet of Directors and Heads of some technical services such as Directors of Maritime Affairs and Inland Waterways, Civil Aviation, National Meteorology amongst others; and Head of the ADB delegation and his experts on the other hand, a panoramic presentation of operations in the transport sector of Cameroon was done to the amazement and satisfaction of the ADB delegation.

Minister Jean Ernest Masséna NGALLE BIBEHE in his opening pronouncement acknowledged efforts of the ADB in accompanying the Government of Cameroon in its earmarked development strategy and projects.

Laying the foundation for discussion to kick-off at his end, the Head of the ADB delegation disclosed that 53% of the Bank’s financing projects in Cameroon are being vested in the transport sector and regrets the fact that all focus has been tilted to the road sector all this while. According to Mike Salawou, their presence in the Ministry of Transport to have a repertoire of projects in the transport domain will help rectify this fatal mistake and usher the Bank in the future to include other subsectors like railway and meteorology in its financing.

Taking turns, Directors and Heads of some technical services in the Ministry of Transport presented their activities. For instance, the Director of Civil Aviation axed on the rehabilitation of the Yaounde and Garoua airports and the construction of the Bertoua, Kribi and Tiko airports which is underway. This is being materialized with close collaboration with the Ministry’s parastatals such as the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) and "Aéroports du Cameroun"(ADC).

For the Director of National Meteorology, he revealed that the Department is working with the elaborated directive plan for national meteorology. Given the importance of this subsector, through the National Polytechniques of Yaounde and Maroua, some three hundred and fifty (350) youths have been trained in the field of meteorology and dispatched to all regions. He equally underlined the need for financing in meteorological infrastructure and capacity building in order to produce exhaustive, qualitative and reliable meteorological data.

For the Maritime Affairs and Inland Waterways Department, the Director decried the somewhat neglect and underdevelopment of the inland waterways subsector, given its great interconnectivity role in towns like Garoua, Limbe and Douala. He equally revealed that a Center for Certification of inland waterways professionals is being envisaged. The ADB delegation used this opportunity to unveil a project on inland waterway which is forthcoming in Garoua.

With respect to the railway subsector, emphasis was laid on the protection and delimitation of railway paths, while highlighting some projects like the new railway between Edea and Kribi, the cross-border railway that will link Cameroon to Chad whose feasibility studies is being financed by the ADB. 

Speaking to the press after the audience, the Head of the ADB delegation noted: « We really enjoyed discussion with the Minister and we shall now go home to follow-up on all what we discussed and return to intensify the diversity of the transport sector strategy in Cameroon ».