Cameroon, World Bank Move to Expand Financing for Industrial Power Supply

Cameroon and the World Bank are discussing additional financing for electricity infrastructure, with a focus on improving power transmission and distribution to meet industrial demand. The talks also cover accelerating existing projects and attracting private investment to expand electricity access.

Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute met a World Bank delegation on October 30, 2026, led by Cheick Fantamady Kanté, the institution’s Division Director for Cameroon. Franz Richard Drees-Gross, the World Bank’s Regional Director of Infrastructure Programs for West and Central Africa, also attended.

The discussions focused on increasing World Bank support for electricity generation, transmission and distribution. Energy supply had been identified as a priority by private-sector representatives at the 12th Cameroon Business Forum in Douala.

Kanté said Cameroon had made progress in expanding electricity generation capacity, but investments in transmission and distribution remained necessary to deliver power to businesses and households.

“What is produced needs to be transported and distributed. So we are working on the value chain to make that happen so that businesses can get electricity and create jobs,” he said.

The meeting followed talks on October 29 between the World Bank delegation and Economy Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey. According to the Ministry of Economy, the two sides discussed expanding the energy financing portfolio and accelerating ongoing World Bank interventions.

The talks followed discussions with World Bank Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde during the institution’s annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 12 to 18.

Transmission Delays Restrict Industrial Power Supply

Cameroon’s electricity transmission network remains a major constraint on industrial power supply, particularly in Douala, the country’s economic capital and main industrial hub.

The 420-megawatt Nachtigal hydropower plant has been operating at full installed capacity since March 2025, but delays in completing its second electricity transmission corridor have limited the amount of power reaching industrial consumers.

According to Business in Cameroon, the delays have held back network improvements needed to meet an estimated 150 MW of additional industrial electricity demand in Douala.

During an October 7 inspection, Water and Energy Minister Gaston Eloundou Essomba instructed contractors to complete outstanding work on the transmission corridor in November 2026, following several missed deadlines.

The project includes the 400-kilovolt Nyom 2–Nkolkoumou–Edéa transmission line, designed to increase electricity transfer capacity between Yaoundé and the Littoral region. The line has a planned transmission capacity of 1,500 MW.

Work on the Edéa-Béon substation was 95% complete in early October, with the completion deadline pushed back to November 15.

The World Bank has already committed additional resources to electricity transmission infrastructure. In June 2026, it approved $50 million in additional financing for Cameroon’s Electricity Transmission and Reform Project, which supports improvements to the national grid.

The financing is separate from the discussions held in late October, which did not result in a newly announced funding agreement.

World Bank Financing and Electricity Sector Reforms

The World Bank is also supporting Cameroon through its $300 million Power Sector Reform Program, approved in 2023. The program focuses on improving the electricity sector’s financial performance, governance, transparency and access to power.

Cameroon has also restructured its electricity utility. In May 2026, the government transformed Eneo into Société camerounaise d’électricité (SOCADEL), a state-owned company responsible for electricity generation, distribution and related operations.

The restructuring followed the government’s acquisition of the majority stake previously held by British investment firm Actis.

The financing discussions also form part of Cameroon’s broader electricity access commitments under Mission 300, a joint World Bank and African Development Bank initiative aimed at connecting 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

Under its National Energy Compact, Cameroon has set a target of providing electricity access to approximately eight million additional people by 2030. The plan includes expanding generation capacity, strengthening transmission and distribution networks, improving sector performance and mobilizing private investment.

The October 29 and 30 meetings did not produce a new financing amount or a signed agreement. According to the Ministry of Economy, discussions focused on strengthening the World Bank’s existing energy financing portfolio and accelerating its interventions in the sector.

Mercy Fosoh