Officials said the portfolio, valued at nearly 4 trillion CFA francs, contains new and expanding projects at different stages of development rather than a single package of committed capital. The August 27 talks also produced an agreement to create joint working groups to carry forward shared economic priorities and address obstacles facing investors.
The largest project identified is Hydromine’s proposed $3.5 billion Grand Eweng hydropower development on the Sanaga River. The New York-based infrastructure investor is working towards a 1,040-megawatt plant, a project that would account for roughly half the value of the commercial opportunities highlighted during the dialogue.
A. Epstein and Sons International, an Illinois-based engineering company, and financial partner ITF are also in discussions over a proposed $2 billion airport in the Douala metropolitan area. The same company is involved in discussions on a separate $230 million project to build modern theatre halls in Yaoundé, Douala and Bamenda.
Critical minerals formed another major part of the discussions. Connecticut-based Tronox and Australia-based Lion Rock are advancing a $500 million rutile project, while ARM, a critical-minerals development company headquartered in Washington, is discussing a cobalt-nickel-manganese project at Nkamouna. The planned initial investment for the ARM project is about $85 million.
Technology proposals include a $75 million investment planned by Virginia-based Cybastion for an artificial intelligence-powered data centre and an associated power plant in Douala. New York fintech company Azamra is seeking to facilitate investment by Cameroon’s diaspora and accelerate cross-border digital payments, although no investment value was specified for that initiative.
Other commercial activity includes an $83 million equipment sale by New Jersey-based Hoffman Equipment to support infrastructure development and technical training. FedEx and its Global Service Participant, Globex Cameroun, are developing a framework and timetable for a warehouse facility at Douala International Airport. California-based Taylor Guitars and local partner Crelicam are continuing to source ebony from Cameroon under a sustainable supply arrangement.
The dialogue focused not only on individual projects but also on conditions that could determine whether proposed investments progress. Both governments discussed taxation, shipping and logistics constraints and reform of the mining sector as areas where Cameroon’s business climate could be strengthened for United States investors.
Cameroon’s Economy, Planning and Regional Development Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey chaired discussions that included the development of critical minerals and the financial and institutional arrangements surrounding mining. He said work on mechanisms for securing and repatriating funds linked to restoration of mining sites could improve perceptions of the investment climate across the six-country Central African Economic and Monetary Community.
The talks followed consultations between US Chargé d’Affaires ad interim John G. Robinson and senior Cameroon officials responsible for transport, finance, trade, telecommunications, mining, water, energy, foreign affairs and economic planning. Robinson had described the meeting as the first bilateral dialogue in this format devoted to economic issues, with trade and investment intended to benefit both economies.
Private-sector concerns were also fed into the government-to-government discussions through a business climate forum held in Yaoundé on August 26. Companies and industry representatives raised access to foreign exchange, financing, infrastructure and regulatory predictability among the barriers affecting investment decisions, alongside sector-specific issues in banking, fintech, information technology, agro-industry, extractive industries and healthcare.
The bilateral dialogue was organised around three broad areas: the business climate, trade and investment. It was designed to connect Cameroon’s development priorities with Washington’s commercial diplomacy and to give companies a formal channel for identifying projects and regulatory obstacles.
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