Cameroon’s Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Masséna Ngallè Bibéhè, hosted a delegation from Expertise France, led by Secretary General Tristan Cazin, at his cabinet in Yaounde recently.
This high-level audience focused on reviewing the ongoing cooperation portfolio between the ministry and the French agency. The discussions centered primarily on the “Strategic Corridors of Central Africa” project – CORAX 5 and 6, an initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France to boost sub-regional trade.
During the meeting, Minister Ngallè Bibéhè highlighted Cameroon’s pivotal role as a strategic transit hub for economic integration within the Central African sub-region. In response, Tristan Cazin outlined the core objectives of the CORAX 5 and 6 project, explaining that the initiative aims to transform major transit routes into fully integrated economic corridors. By so doing, the project seeks to sustainably improve regional competitiveness, streamline trade facilitation, reduce bottlenecks in freight transport, and improve the cross-border mobility of people.
A significant portion of the dialogue focused on making regional logistics more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Both parties agreed on priorities such as smoothing transit operations, cutting border delays, and eliminating administrative hurdles.
To combat climate change, the CORAX project aims to lower the carbon footprint of transport activities by promoting multimodal connectivity, optimizing freight flows, and integrating green standards into corridor management. Additionally, the initiative places a strong emphasis on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises – SMEs operating within the logistics supply chain.
Technical experts from the Ministry of Transport presented an overview of the modernization efforts, ongoing infrastructure projects, and institutional reforms already underway in Cameroon. These presentations provided a clear baseline of the country’s logistical achievements while acknowledging the remaining hurdles to making its transit corridors more attractive. The review underscored Cameroon’s commitment to self-improvement and its proactive approach to becoming a top-tier regional logistics platform.
To wrap up the session, Minister Ngallè Bibéhè advocated for a strategy rooted in capitalizing on existing achievements to avoid overlapping initiatives or duplicating efforts with other international financial partners. To ensure seamless coordination, the Minister ordered the immediate creation of a joint technical working group comprising officials from both the ministry and Expertise France.
Operating under the direct supervision of the Ministry’s Technical Advisor No. 1, this joint team will be responsible for the operational follow-up and deeper planning of the corridor project.
