Page 26 - NILE EXPLORER

Africa

Kirbi port in Cameroon, under construction
The Great Equatorial land bridge

ne major development that has taken Accordingly, by reconfiguring the LAPSSET 6.5 kilometers (4 miles).
Othe continent by storm since 2012 is to be part of the continental, The Great The new port is expected to effectively
the East-West corridor from Kenya’s Lamu Equatorial Land Bridge project, beginning replace the existing Port of Douala,
port to Cameroon’s Douala port, aptly at the Lamu port in Kenya, passing through which lies 150 kilometers to the north
named The Great Equatorial Land Bridge. Juba in South Sudan, Bangui in Central of Kribi. An estuary port that requires
The development of this initiative involves African Republic, and ending at Kirbi constant dredging and with a draft of just
the construction of a transcontinental rail, port in Cameroon, the Kenyan project 7 meters, Douala handles the vast majority
road and oil transportation network which assumes the tag of a massive transformative of Cameroon’s seaborne trade, but is
is to cut the time needed for the movement notoriously inefficient and regarded as one
of goods from not only East to West Africa, international development that is a game
but also from South and North America to changer. of the worst commercial ports in Africa.
Asia. The coastal town of Kribi in the Republic The massive Equatorial Land Bridge project
The project being driven under of Cameroon is strategically situated on could provide a key connection between
the Programme for Infrastructure the Gulf of Guinea about 200 miles south East and West Africa if it comes to fruition.
Development in Africa (PIDA); the of Douala, the nation’s most populated city The first phase of the development at
programme designed as successor to the and home to its largest seaport. Kribi cost $498 million and consists of
NEPAD Medium to Long Term Strategic The first phase of the Kribi Deepwater Port a 120-meter breakwater, a 362-meter
Framework (MLTSF), to develop a project officially got off in June 2011. A container berth and a 308-meter general
vision and strategic framework for the 50,000 metric ton container terminal and cargo berth. The two berths can handle
development of regional and continental a 40,000-ton multi-purpose terminal were vessels up to 50,000 and 40,000 dwt,
infrastructure (Energy, Transport, built and completed in June 2014, making respectively. Funding for the first phase was
Information and Communication an important contribution to the local provided by the Exim Bank of China and
Technologies (ICT) and Trans-boundary economy’s development. construction works carried out by China
Water Resources). Kribi is an autonomous port, one of the Harbor Engineering Corporation.
The PIDA initiative is being led by the biggest Chinese investment projects in the For phase two, the bank is providing part
African Union Commission (AUC), world. When it finally opens for business, it of the funds on a concessional loan basis
NEPAD Secretariat and the African will be the largest deepwater port in central and part as a preferential loan. There is an
Development Bank. The Bank’s role as Africa. The government of Cameroon interest free grace period of seven years
Executing Agency covers the responsibility launched a project to build a deep-water after which interest is expected to be as low
for contractual, financial, technical port with an associated industrial zone on a as 2 percent annually. The loan will mature
and administrative management of the 26,000 hectare site near Kribi, to be known in 20 years.
programme including responsibility for as the Kribi Port and Industrial Complex. A third phase is planned, which will see
procurement procedures, in conformity Construction work on the second phase of 12 new berths constructed in the northern
with its existing regulations, budget the only deep-sea port in central Africa at part of the port complex.
management and disbursements. Kirbi, began in 2016, after a second round Cameroon is the second-largest economy
The Great Equatorial Land Bridge project of financing was arranged with the Export- in central Africa after the Democratic
connects in the East to the. The US$ 24 Import Bank of China. Republic of Congo. As well as the local
billion Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia The project costing $675.5 million, consist economy, the port is expected to become
Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) project of two container berths, two bulk cargo a regional transport hub for Atlantic coast
which commenced in early 2012, was berths and two hydrocarbon berths. When countries from Senegal to Gabon and
initially aimed at linking Kenya with South complete at the end of this year, there will neighboring landlocked countries such as
Sudan and Ethiopia. be 20 terminals along a total quay length of Chad and the Central African Republic.

26 | The Nile Explorer 008