Ethiopian giant Ovid Holdings is positioning itself for a strategic entry into Cameroon, marking one of the most significant intra-African investment moves of the year. A note issued by the Cameroonian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Crafts (Ccima) on November 20 confirmed that the US$15 billion conglomerate is currently conducting a week-long scouting mission across Yaoundé, Kribi and Douala.
Founded in 2013, Ovid Holdings operates across construction, infrastructure, energy, agribusiness, real estate and mining, sectors that align closely with Cameroon’s most urgent development needs. The mission, running from November 23 to 28, aims to match Ovid’s financial and technical capacity with viable local projects seeking investment or partnership.
The centrepiece of the visit will be the Ethiopia–Cameroon “win-win” business forum scheduled for November 27, where Ovid Holdings executives will engage with government officials, private sector leaders, project developers and businesses in search of financing. The discussions are expected to focus heavily on infrastructure rehabilitation, logistics development, agricultural value chains, and industrial expansion.
Ccima officials say the exchanges are designed to create a pipeline of investment-ready projects that Ovid could fund either independently or through joint ventures with local partners.
Ovid’s interest reflects a broader wave of African cross-border investment driven by AfCFTA integration, the search for scalable markets and the emergence of African multinationals with larger balance sheets. Cameroon, with its deepwater port in Kribi, expanding energy sector and central African market access, has become increasingly attractive for large corporate investors from East and West Africa.
Analysts suggest that Ovid’s entry could accelerate several priority national projects, especially those tied to infrastructure modernisation, urban development and agro-industrial transformation. Given the company’s financial muscle, it could become a long-term strategic partner for Cameroon’s economic diversification agenda.
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