Cameroon’s 2026 Road Maintenance Budget Covers Just One-Third of Needs

Cameroon continues to face a major funding shortfall for road maintenance. According to figures recently presented to the Senate by Public Works Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, the Road Fund has mobilized CFA47.784 billion for maintenance activities in 2026.

The amount covers only 31.7% of the country’s annual road maintenance needs.

Based on the minister’s figures, Cameroon requires roughly CFA150 billion each year to adequately maintain its road network, leaving a funding gap of more than CFA100 billion. The shortfall partly explains the continued deterioration of the country’s roads, particularly its extensive unpaved network.

Cameroon’s road network stretches 121,873 kilometers. As of December 31, 2025, only 10,939.92 kilometers were paved, representing less than 9% of the total network. More than 110,000 kilometers remain unpaved, making them especially vulnerable to rainfall, erosion, and traffic disruptions during the rainy season.

The public works minister acknowledged the vulnerability of these roads, noting that unpaved roads “deteriorate frequently because their surface does not withstand rainfall.” He added that limited funding for preventive maintenance further worsens the situation.

2026 program covers only a fraction of the network

The 2026 Annual Road Maintenance Program includes funding for 263 projects, covering 5,215.41 kilometers of roads and 2,620.89 linear meters of bridges and other engineering structures. Compared with the size of the national network, however, the planned work remains limited. The projects cover only a small share of the country’s unpaved roads, where maintenance needs are greatest.

As a result, authorities continue to prioritize strategic transport corridors rather than provide regular maintenance across the entire network.

“The Road Fund’s CFA47.7 billion budget covers barely 31.7% of maintenance needs,” Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi told lawmakers. The ministry also said 488 construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance contracts are either being implemented or prepared, covering a total of 13,445.11 kilometers of roads. Priority is being given to major transport corridors linking production areas, economic hubs, and high-traffic routes.

Regional and local roads remain the weakest links

The minister acknowledged that these efforts remain insufficient. According to him, the overall quality of Cameroon’s road network is undermined by regional and municipal roads, which are largely unpaved, as well as paved roads that have already reached the end of their service life.

The situation also highlights one of the main challenges facing road maintenance following decentralization. A significant share of the road network is now managed by regional and municipal authorities, many of which lack the financial, technical, and human resources needed to maintain the roads under their responsibility.

In 2026, the government allocated CFA8 billion to regional councils and CFA41 billion to municipalities for road maintenance. The funding is expected to support work on 3,683 kilometers of roads and 3,243 linear meters of engineering structures.

Even so, a wide gap remains between available funding and maintenance  needs.The government therefore faces two priorities: increasing resources for routine maintenance to prevent premature deterioration of road infrastructure, and improving the planning, supervision, and execution of maintenance works to maximize the impact of available funding.

In April 2026, the Ministry of Public Works launched a study to develop a national road asset maintenance strategy aimed at shifting from costly, reactive interventions toward a more preventive and better-planned maintenance approach.

For Cameroon, the issue goes beyond road conditions. The quality of the network directly affects access to agricultural production areas, the competitiveness of transport corridors, domestic logistics costs, and regional connectivity. As long as routine maintenance receives less than one-third of the funding required, road deterioration will continue to weigh on economic activity and public service delivery.

Ludovic Amara