Cameroon Pitches $3 Billion Grand Eweng Dam and Other Long-Delayed Projects to U.S. Investors

Cameroon is using its first bilateral Economic and Commercial Dialogue with the United States on Aug. 27 to seek U.S. capital and expertise for a portfolio that includes the $3 billion Grand Eweng hydropower project, a proposed new airport for Douala and major data and cloud infrastructure.

The meeting in Yaoundé, prepared through several weeks of consultations between U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John G. Robinson and members of the Cameroonian government, is expected to focus on three broad areas: improving the business climate, developing trade and identifying investment opportunities between the two countries. Digital technology, agriculture, energy and mining are among the sectors specifically targeted.

On investment, Yaoundé wants to use the new bilateral framework to bring several projects to the attention of U.S. companies, experts and financing institutions.

The largest by investment value is Grand Eweng, a hydropower project on the Sanaga River developed by U.S. company Hydromine.

Cameroon’s official catalog of major public-private partnership projects, published in April 2026, puts Grand Eweng’s planned capacity at 1,080 MW and its estimated investment cost at CFA1.855 trillion, or about $3 billion. It is among 14 priority infrastructure projects being presented to partners and investors.

The U.S. Department of Commerce also identifies Grand Eweng among opportunities for American companies in engineering, electrical equipment, construction and environmental services.

The project, however, is not new. Hydromine and the Cameroonian government have worked on Grand Eweng for several years. On July 5, 2019, the Ministry of Water and Energy, Hydromine and Eneo signed a letter of intent intended to provide a framework for negotiating a power purchase agreement for electricity from the future plant.

Eneo was converted into the Société Camerounaise d’Électricité, or SOCADEL, in May 2026. Grand Eweng’s timetable nevertheless remains uncertain. Hydromine still describes the project as under development after several previously announced start dates were missed.

A new airport for Douala

The government is also reviving plans for a world-class airport in the Douala metropolitan area.

The proposal already appears in Cameroon’s 2020-2030 National Development Strategy, which calls for feasibility studies. In November 2025, the transport minister told the National Assembly that the government intended to launch those studies in 2026.

The long-term project would complement investments already underway to rehabilitate the existing Douala International Airport. It is intended to address limitations of the current airport infrastructure and support Cameroon’s ambition to become a regional aviation hub.

Projects presented by the Cameroonian side also include a request for U.S. expertise to conduct studies for ultramodern theater complexes in Yaoundé, Douala and Bamenda.

Data center, cloud and artificial intelligence

Digital infrastructure represents another major component of Cameroon’s investment agenda.

Projects submitted to U.S. partners include a sovereign national data center combined with a cloud park, the establishment of a national Security Operations Center, or SOC, and support for implementing Cameroon’s national artificial intelligence strategy.

Washington already sees commercial potential in these areas. In its Country Commercial Guide updated in April 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce identifies demand in Cameroon for data infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity, fiber optics and other digital solutions, presenting them as opportunities for U.S. companies.

Discussions are also expected to cover the connection of the Cameroon Customs Information System, or CAMCIS, with airline systems to streamline air cargo processing, along with the establishment of an integrated vessel tracking and monitoring system.

Mining data could become more usable for investors

In mining, Washington wants to deepen geological and mineral mapping work in Cameroon.

The effort would build on existing work rather than start from scratch. With World Bank support through the PRECASEM program, Cameroon has already produced a national geological map at a scale of 1:500,000, along with more detailed 1:200,000 maps covering several areas.

The objective is therefore to complete and update existing geological information and make it more useful to investors.

Taken together, the projects show that the Aug. 27 dialogue is not simply about assembling a new list of investment opportunities. Cameroon is also looking for U.S. partners capable of moving infrastructure already identified by the government toward implementation, including projects such as Grand Eweng that have remained in development for years.

Ludovic Amara