The Port Authority of Douala (PAD) has signed a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Lebanese-Chinese consortium Mira S.A for the construction of a 1,500 meter multipurpose quay.
According to local media, the agreement was signed earlier this week by Cyrus Ngo’o, PAD’s managing director, and Ibrahim Mortada, CEO of Mira S.A.
The future facility will comprise three specialized terminals – for cement, butane, and general cargo – along with a 300 meter marina.
Also, this capital project includes a three-kilometer bypass road, the development of 41 hectares of industrial and port activity zones, and permanent dredging to maintain a 7 meter draft in the area.
The officials said that the dredging operations are critical, because this zone is prone to silting.
For PAD, the expansion is a strategic move to ease congestion at existing facilities and enhance the competitiveness of the Port of Douala, they added. The port currently handles 85% of Cameroon’s national freight and is essential for supplying landlocked Chad and the Central African Republic.