The second phase of the deepwater port of Kribi was inaugurated on Friday 09 May 2025 in the presence of several officials. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Transport Minister Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, accompanied by Economy and Finance Minister Louis Paul Motaze. Described as an important maritime infrastructure, the port of Kribi opens up new prospects for the Central African economy.
This is a historic date for the Central African maritime sector. On Friday 9 May 2025, the autonomous port of Kribi inaugurated its second container terminal. 24 hours earlier, it welcomed one of the largest ships ever to dock on the African coast: the MSC Türkiye, the world’s largest container ship at 400 metres long.
Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, Minister of Transport – Cameroon
With the signing of the act marking the start of operations in phase 2, the autonomous port of Kribi is entering a new era of technical maturity and competitiveness. With a quay length of 715 metres and a depth of 16 metres, the PAK is the only port in Central Africa and one of only five on the continent capable of handling the world’s largest ships.
Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, Minister of Transport – Cameroon
At a cost of CFAF 400 billion, the port infrastructure is the concrete expression of the vision of Head of State Paul BIYA. His vision is to provide Cameroon with a new-generation port that is competitive and open to the logistics corridors of Central Africa and beyond. The PAK is thus positioned as an essential catalyst for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a driving force for regional economic integration and a fundamental pillar of the National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (NDS30). Phase II will create hundreds of jobs, reduce logistics costs and redirect regional trade through Cameroon.
Patrice Melom, Managing Director of the Autonomous Port of Kribi – Cameroon
By 2040, it is planned to have developed a port infrastructure comprising 20 terminals and 6.5 km of quays capable of handling 100 million tonnes of goods per year. This port, inaugurated in 2018 with a first operational phase, has since demonstrated its economic impact by boosting trade between Cameroon and the sub-region.
