EU Grants to Cameroon Exceed CFAF626bn as Cooperation Shifts Towards Investment

After channeling more than €953 million, or about CFAF626 billion, in grants to Cameroon over decades of cooperation, the European Union is increasingly shifting the partnership towards investment, infrastructure, private-sector development and greater local value addition.

The figures were highlighted as Finance Minister Louis Paul Motaze received outgoing EU Ambassador to Cameroon Jean-Marc Châtaigner in Yaounde on August 11. The farewell audience reviewed ongoing projects, their financing and prospects for cooperation in priority development sectors.

According to the Ministry of Finance, more than €953 million has been mobilized in grants for development projects since cooperation between Cameroon and the European bloc began. Under the current 2021-2027 partnership framework, the EU has allocated an additional €244 million, equivalent to about CFAF160 billion, in grants to Cameroon.

The funding is part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, which seeks to support sustainable and inclusive development while increasingly mobilizing investment in infrastructure, productive sectors and private enterprise.

Investment and infrastructure gain ground

Energy and transport are among the most visible areas of the EU’s increasingly investment-oriented cooperation with Cameroon.

The 420-MW Nachtigal hydroelectric project is among the major projects cited by the Ministry of Finance as an achievement of the partnership. The project has strengthened Cameroon’s electricity generation capacity and illustrates the growing role of large-scale infrastructure in cooperation between the two sides.

Châtaigner also pointed to the bridge over the Logone River, designed to improve regional connectivity and facilitate economic exchanges between Cameroon and Chad.

Another planned bridge over the Ntem River is expected to strengthen connectivity between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, further expanding the infrastructure dimension of the partnership.

The projects reflect a broader shift away from cooperation centred primarily on development assistance towards an approach combining public investment, regional integration and economic opportunities.

Private-sector financing becomes a priority

In January 2026, the EU Delegation and the European Chamber of Commerce in Cameroon held discussions with private-sector operators in Yaounde on European financing instruments available under Global Gateway.

The initiative also focused on improving the investment climate and creating opportunities for both European and Cameroonian businesses.

That approach was further highlighted during the Cameroon-EU Business Week held in Yaounde in June. Châtaigner said the event reflected efforts to move from a conventional cooperation model towards an economic partnership built around investment, innovation and business opportunities.

Under the Economic Partnership Agreement, Cameroonian products benefit from preferential access to the European market. The EU is also supporting efforts to improve the country’s competitiveness, diversify its economy and strengthen domestic value chains.

Châtaigner identified cocoa, coffee and cotton among sectors where increased local processing could allow Cameroon to retain a larger share of the value generated from its production.

A partnership spanning more than six decades

According to the EU Delegation, European cooperation with Cameroon dates back to the first European Development Fund established in 1959. The first agreement between the European Economic Community and 18 Associated African States and Madagascar was signed in Yaounde in 1963.

The EU later opened a cooperation office in Yaounde in 1975, while a headquarters agreement was signed in 1983. Over time, the partnership has expanded to cover infrastructure, energy, agriculture, private-sector development, governance, peace and security. Châtaigner told Cameroon Tribune that cooperation had recorded progress in several of these areas during the last three years.

The August 11 meeting came as he prepares to end his tenure as EU Ambassador to Cameroon. Motaze acknowledged the EU’s contribution to development projects in the country and wished the outgoing diplomat success in his future assignments.

Mercy Fosoh