Garoua Port rehabilitation seen as boost for Cameroon-Nigeria trade

The long-idle inland river port of Garoua in Cameroon, once a vital gateway for trade with Nigeria, has become the focus of renewed rehabilitation efforts that could breathe new life into the local economy.

Opened in 1935, the port supported thousands of jobs and moved both people and goods along the Benue River. Today, only a handful of boats remain, and residents say its decline has transformed the local economy. Goods that once arrived quickly and cheaply by water now depend largely on road transport, increasing costs and slowing trade with Nigeria.

“I find myself feeling nostalgic because, when I was young, I remember how busy it used to be here. It was a real meeting place where there was something for everyone. Even small children would come and play by the water’s edge,” recalled Hassana Tchiroma, a local resident.

“The economic benefits that this port brought to the town of Garoua were considerable. Firstly, it helped to reduce unemployment, as many people were employed thanks to the port. Secondly, it facilitated the transport of our goods to Nigeria, which represented a significant economic advantage. Since the port ceased operations, it has been a huge loss for the town of Garoua,” said Saly Yaro, a businessman.

Experts noted that the port still holds strategic value despite its deterioration. Linking Cameroon with Nigeria, Chad and the Central African Republic, restoring transport on the Benue River could lower freight costs and strengthen regional trade.

“Yet, this infrastructure has a special status as an autonomous port. To elaborate, it’s an autonomous port transferred to the urban community of Garoua, allowing local businesses to both carry out their export operations—through the export of industrial products like corn, cotton, and others—via the Benue River, and also their import activities,” said Mohamadoul Moustapha, a transport and logistics expert.

Authorities in northern Cameroon are considering a major rehabilitation project, but restoring navigation, modernizing aging infrastructure and integrating the port with the country’s wider transport network will require significant investment.

“The project would be economically viable in the long term if the modernization works are actually carried out, if the navigability of the river is ensured, and if the port is integrated into a multimodal network linking, in particular, the seaports of Douala and Kribi to the northern regions of Cameroon,” said Cezar Timbi, an economist.

For residents of Garoua and its surrounding villages, the port is more than fading infrastructure. It is a reminder of lost opportunity, and of hopes that renewed interest and investment could once again make the Benue River a gateway for trade, jobs and regional growth.

The 10th China-New Zealand Film Carnival kicked off in Shougang Park in Beijing on Friday.

The four-day carnival aims to explore new opportunities for film cooperation between the two countries with film as a bridge.

The event features a red carpet ceremony, film premieres, a cultural market and other activities celebrating cinematic exchange.

“We hope that through this opportunity and platform, we can continue to promote cooperation between China and New Zealand in areas such as film and television, science and technology, creative cultural industries, and cultural tourism. At the same time, we will make further efforts to tell Chinese stories abroad. In 2024, we held the 12th China Film Festival, screening a variety of films, including particularly touching ones such as ‘Successor’, ‘The Wandering Earth II’, and ‘Full River Red’, which were especially favored by New Zealand audiences. Some recent popular films like ‘Dear You’ are about to be released in New Zealand. We have been organizing audiences there to watch the films,” said Qi Huifang, president of the New Zealand Chinese Film Festival.