New AFD Country Director Takes Office in Cameroon

Jérôme Notebaert is the new French Development Agency’s country director for Cameroon. The new director was presented to the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, on July 14, 2026, by outgoing Country Director Virginie Dago during an audience in Yaounde. The same day, Dago and Notebaert were also received by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, where discussions reviewed the state of cooperation between Cameroon and AFD and the sectors benefiting from the partnership.

The leadership handover comes as several major infrastructure and development projects financed through French cooperation are either being completed or entering implementation phases. These include investments in health, education, agriculture, urban development, youth employment and electricity access.

Stating the outcomes of her four-year mandate, Dago said several flagship projects had either been completed or launched during her stay in Cameroon.

“I can mention the Regional Capitals program, which impacted five cities in Cameroon. There are still a few activities to complete, but most of them were inaugurated during my stay. I also had the opportunity to visit most regions of Cameroon and see on the ground the impact of our cooperation,” Dago said.

The transition places Notebaert at the center of one of Cameroon’s longest-running development financing partnerships. Since its launch in 2006, the C2D mechanism has financed projects across priority sectors while reinjecting resources into the economy through public investments and infrastructure programs.

Before his appointment in June 2026, Notebaert served as Deputy Director of the AFD in Fort-de-France, Martinique. He also worked in the Central African Republic between 2014 and 2016 as an international technical expert attached to the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security. He previously participated in several missions in Cameroon, including the monitoring of the C2D-funded Regional Capitals urban project valued at FCFA 111.5 billion.

Recent years have seen the cooperation portfolio expand into strategic infrastructure. Financing agreements worth FCFA 38.3 billion for the rehabilitation of the Douala airport terminal were signed in December 2025. Another major initiative is the FCFA 120 billion flood-control program for Douala and Yaounde.

According to Dago, cooperation between Cameroon and AFD has also supported programs aimed at improving electricity access, strengthening health and education services, boosting agricultural production and facilitating the professional integration of young people.

“These projects are added to other initiatives undertaken by AFD to support Cameroon’s development efforts. Access to electricity, health, education, support for agricultural production and assistance for youth professional integration are among the areas that have benefited from this cooperation,” Dago said.

With the C2D program approaching the final stage of implementation and several large infrastructure projects underway, the arrival of a new AFD director signals continuity in a partnership that has become a significant source of development financing for Cameroon over the past two decades.

Mercy Fosoh