Cameroon Pays Nearly a billion to Communities Affected by Bini a Warak Dam After Decade-Long Wait

Residents of 19 villages in Ngan-Ha subdivision, in Cameroon’s Adamawa Region, have received a total of CFA985 million in compensation for property losses linked to the Bini a Warak dam project, nearly a decade after those affected were identified.

The payments were made between June 26 and June 29, 2026, marking a significant step for a project that has faced years of delays.

Originally awarded in 2013 to China’s Sinohydro Corporation Limited, the project initially called for the construction of a 75 MW hydropower plant to strengthen electricity supply in the Adamawa, North, and Far North regions. Construction stalled just months later because of financing difficulties, according to the government.

In 2023, the Cameroonian government transferred responsibility for the project to UK-based Savannah Energy. The company has since announced plans to sell a 50% stake in the project to attract additional investors.

Savannah Energy also redesigned the project, increasing its planned capacity from 75 MW to 95 MW. The revised project combines a 55 MW hydropower plant with a 40 MW solar facility.

The Bini a Warak project is considered a strategic investment for Cameroon’s Northern Interconnected Grid, which supplies electricity to the country’s three northern regions. The area regularly faces power shortages because of the sharp decline in output from the Lagdo hydropower dam, despite the recent commissioning of solar power plants in Maroua and Guider.

BRM