Cameroon has secured 111.6 billion CFA francs (US$185 million) in external financing to upgrade and reconfigure the drinking water distribution network in the capital, Yaoundé, the government said.
Cameroon’s Economy Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey signed financing agreements with three foreign banks: Belgium’s ING Bank for 39.36 billion CFA francs, Belgium’s Belfius Bank for a similar amount, and Deutsche Bank Italy for 25.27 billion CFA francs, according to an official statement.
The funding will support three components of the Yaoundé Drinking Water Supply System Reconfiguration Project, which aims to address persistent supply shortfalls and distribution bottlenecks in the rapidly growing capital.
The project extends the Yaoundé Drinking Water Supply Project from the Sanaga River, known by its French acronym Paepys, which was completed and inaugurated in 2024. Paepys included the construction of a new water treatment plant at Batschenga in Cameroon’s Centre region, with an initial production capacity of 300,000 cubic metres per day, expandable to 400,000 cubic metres.
Despite the increase in water production, authorities say existing infrastructure has been unable to distribute supply evenly across the city. The Ministry of Water and Energy said Yaoundé’s older Akomnyada treatment plant currently produces about 100,000 cubic metres per day, while estimated demand in the capital stands at around 315,000 cubic metres.
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Although Paepys is expected to cover the 215,000-cubic-metre daily shortfall, officials say the current configuration of the distribution network prevents some neighbourhoods from being supplied, making a major system overhaul necessary to integrate the new source and higher volumes.
Expanding access and efficiency
Presenting the 2026 budget to parliament in December 2025, Water and Energy Minister Gaston Eloundou Essomba said the project aims to integrate an additional 285,000 cubic metres per day from Paepys into Yaoundé’s network.
The plan also targets an increase in access to piped drinking water in Greater Yaoundé, including the satellite towns of Soa and Mbankomo, from about 40 percent to 61 percent through the creation of 30,000 new household connections.
Beyond expanding coverage, the project is expected to significantly improve system performance. Authorities said network efficiency will rise from about 50 percent to 71 percent, while storage capacity will increase from 100,310 cubic metres to 122,810 cubic metres. The works also include the extension of the main, secondary and tertiary distribution networks with around 525 kilometres of new pipelines.
Economy Minister Mey said the investment would strengthen access to basic services and support Cameroon’s efforts to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6, which seeks to ensure universal access to water and sanitation and the sustainable management of water resources.
The financing agreements were signed on the sidelines of the 23rd congress of the African Water and Sanitation Association, held in Yaoundé. Participants at the meeting said achieving SDG 6 by 2030 would be challenging, given persistent gaps in access to safe drinking water and sanitation across much of Africa.
In Cameroon, government officials estimate that more than 30 percent of the population still lacks access to safe drinking water, just four years ahead of the United Nations deadline.
Cameroon has for years struggled to provide reliable access to safe drinking water, particularly in rapidly growing urban centres such as Yaoundé. Population growth, unplanned urban expansion and ageing infrastructure have placed sustained pressure on water production and distribution systems, leading to frequent shortages in many neighbourhoods.
Yaoundé’s water supply has historically relied on the Akomnyada treatment plant, which produces about 100,000 cubic metres per day—far below estimated demand of more than 300,000 cubic metres. This deficit has forced widespread rationing and left parts of the capital dependent on informal or unsafe water sources.
To address the shortfall, the government launched the Yaoundé Drinking Water Supply Project from the Sanaga River, known as Paepys. Completed and inaugurated in 2024, the project marked one of Cameroon’s largest water investments in decades. It included the construction of a modern treatment plant at Batschenga, with an initial capacity of 300,000 cubic metres per day, expandable to 400,000 cubic metres.
However, officials have acknowledged that increased production alone has not resolved supply problems. Much of Yaoundé’s distribution network is outdated, poorly interconnected and unable to transport large volumes from the new Sanaga River source to all parts of the city. High levels of water loss through leaks and illegal connections—estimated at around 50 percent—have further reduced effective supply.
The government says the network reconfiguration project is essential to fully utilise Paepys, improve efficiency and expand household connections, particularly in fast-growing suburbs such as Soa and Mbankomo. The investment also aligns with Cameroon’s broader infrastructure development strategy and its commitment to the United Nations’ goal of universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.
Across Africa, meeting this target remains a major challenge. According to sector officials, more than 30 percent of Cameroonians still lack access to safe drinking water, highlighting the scale of investment required to close the gap before the UN deadline.
