NOSO: The Real Indicators of Successful Reconstruction

Cameroon is seeking French investors to support the reconstruction of its North-West and South-West Regions, but the challenge extends beyond mobilising capital. The Limbe deep-sea port, a project estimated at CFAF 400 billion that dates back to 1983 but remains unrealised, illustrates the scale of the decisions required to revive the economies of these regions.

Limbe: A Port Project with Industrial Implications

A deep-sea port is more than a transport facility. It can reshape trade flows, ease logistical constraints and bring businesses closer to international markets. For Limbe, its strategic value will depend on the economic activities it can support, the goods that pass through it and the businesses that develop around it. Its proximity to the National Refining Company Ltd (SONARA) also highlights the importance of linking port infrastructure with industrial activity, even as the refinery continues to face the consequences of the 2019 fire.

The challenge is to avoid treating the port as a standalone project disconnected from the wider regional economy. Infrastructure generates economic benefits when it meets the needs of tangible activities, including business supplies, raw-material processing, storage, transport and distribution. If the project moves forward, its integration into a network of local businesses and suppliers will be crucial to ensuring that its benefits extend beyond port operations. Industrial and logistics planning must therefore accompany infrastructure development rather than follow it.

Reconstruction Must Restore Value Chains

The crisis in the North-West and South-West Regions has weakened economic activity, particularly in agricultural value chains. Declining banana, cocoa and coffee production and exports reflect a disruption that affects more than farmers: transport operators, buyers, processors and other stakeholders dependent on these sectors are also affected. Reviving the economy therefore requires restoring these relationships and enabling businesses to regain access to viable markets.

This imperative aligns with the approach developed in Power 237, particularly Chapter XVIII, “Manufacturing Industry and Power.” Industry is a driver of national power because it enables an economy to transform its resources, develop skills and capture a greater share of the value it creates. In the North-West and South-West Regions, this perspective calls for examining opportunities in agro-processing, construction-materials manufacturing, energy development and business services. The objective is not to multiply disconnected projects, but to build complementary activities: agricultural production can supply a processing plant, which in turn creates demand for transport operators, suppliers and local service providers.

French Capital: Building Which Capabilities?

Efforts to attract French investors draw on an established economic relationship. According to figures reported by Camer.be, bilateral trade between Cameroon and France reached approximately €1.3 billion in 2025, while more than 250 French companies or French-owned businesses operate in Cameroon. Funding from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), France’s public development institution for international cooperation, also supports projects in infrastructure, healthcare, education and decentralisation. This presence could facilitate access to financing, technical expertise and industrial partners.

Foreign capital is not inherently at odds with the ambition to build national power. The decisive factor is the ability to direct investment towards national priorities and ensure that it generates lasting benefits for the local economy. A project may expand infrastructure without sufficiently developing local skills, suppliers or processing activities. Conversely, investments that incorporate training, local subcontracting and the development of supply chains can strengthen productive capacity well beyond the initial project. The financing challenge addressed in Chapter XXXI of Power 237 must therefore be considered within a clearly defined development strategy: capital is a means of achieving an economic ambition, not a sufficient measure of success in itself.

Security: A Prerequisite for Productive Continuity

Persistent insecurity in both regions weighs heavily on investment decisions. Businesses must be able to protect their employees, transport goods, keep equipment operational and maintain business continuity. The tax incentives introduced by the government may improve the projected profitability of projects, but they cannot, on their own, offset the risks of operational disruption. Security is therefore a direct component of the business environment and of industrial viability.

Recovery also depends on whether communities can regain access to income-generating activities and professional opportunities. Businesses that can recruit, train workers and engage local suppliers may help reactivate the regional economic fabric. They cannot replace the political and security measures required, but they can contribute to restoring the conditions for sustainable economic activity. Investment protection and economic recovery must therefore be addressed together if projects are to deliver lasting results.

Measuring Reconstruction Through Value Creation

The reconstruction of the North-West and South-West Regions cannot be assessed solely by the amount of funding mobilised, the number of completed construction projects or the infrastructure brought into service. It must also be measured by the productive activities restored, the businesses created or strengthened, the sustainable jobs generated, the growth of local processing and the ability of economic actors to access new markets. These indicators help distinguish a short-term recovery from a lasting transformation of the regional economy.

The Limbe port could contribute to this transformation, provided it is integrated into a coherent network of industrial, agricultural and logistics activities. For Cameroon, the challenge is to mobilise external partnerships while developing the capabilities required to create wealth within its own territory. It is through this alignment of financing, production and control over value added that reconstruction can become a driver of economic power.

The Editorial Staff