Douala Port Expands Niger Transit Trade but Faces Strong Regional Competition

Transit traffic from the Port of Douala to Niger exceeded 50,000 tons in 2025, according to figures shared by Jean Daniel Tientcheu, head of billing control and marketing at the Douala Port Authority. The milestone, described as a first by the port, reflects efforts to strengthen its position in the Nigerien market.

While still modest compared with the port’s total transit volume of 1,967,214 tons in 2025, the figure marks progress in a key segment: trade flows to landlocked Sahel countries, where ports along the Gulf of Guinea compete for market share.

In early April 2026, a Douala Port Authority delegation traveled to Niamey to promote Cameroon’s logistics offering to Nigerien importers. The goal was to secure a stronger role for the Douala corridor as Niger seeks to diversify its maritime access routes.

Some Niger-bound imports pass through Douala before being transported by road or rail to Ngaoundéré, a logistics hub in the Adamawa region. From there, goods move by road through Touboro and Moundou in Chad before reaching Niger. The port also serves as an export gateway for certain Nigerien goods bound for international markets.

To attract and retain Nigerien operators, the port has introduced a range of commercial incentives. In 2025, more than CFA20 million was redistributed as rebates to Nigerien shippers. Since 2026, the electronic cargo tracking document has been made free for Niger-bound goods, while tracking fees have been reduced from CFA32,000 to CFA25,000 per trip. Storage periods at port terminals have also been extended to ease pressure on operators organizing inland transport.

These measures are designed to improve the competitiveness of the Douala–Niamey corridor. They come as transit traffic at the port continues to grow. In the first quarter of 2026, transit volumes reached 501,367 tons, up from 456,805 tons a year earlier, according to data reported by L’Économie.

Despite this progress, the increase in Niger-bound traffic alone is not enough to establish Douala as the dominant corridor. It instead reflects a broader repositioning strategy in a highly competitive Sahelian market, where success will depend not only on port pricing but also on the reliability, speed, and security of inland transport routes.

Frédéric Nonos